A huge sinkhole has opened up underneath Nine Network’s headquarters in Willoughby.

TV Tonight understands a gaping 6 metre hole opened up at the entrance to the TCN9 property late yesterday afternoon, causing police to evacuate the building and seal off access to Artarmon Road.

One vehicle was caught in the emergency, but the driver escaped unharmed.

Police would not confirm if the driver was Richard Wilkins, but said a 60 year old man was being treated for minor cuts and bruises.

“He’s a bit shaken up, but otherwise ok,” a police spokesperson said. “It was lucky he was running late for an eyelash-tinting session, otherwise it could have been a lot worse.”

Nobody else was injured in the unexpected drama although onlookers reported Paul ‘Fatty’ Vautin nearly toppled in due to walking and talking at the same time.

Experts could not explain the cause of the rupture underneath the Free to Air station but Stan employees, working in an adjacent building, report seeing Netflix representatives loitering at the gatehouse in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Police are questioning Today show staff over whether they saw anything suspicious.

Karl Stefanovic told police, “I love India and I love the contribution New Zealanders make across many different vocations in this great country.”

A Nine spokesperson denied the hole was in any way connected to Free to Air Television’s massive challenges in the television landscape.

“Absolutely not. On Sunday we just scored our biggest share since the London Olympics. Reports of Free to Air’s death are greatly exaggerated. Just not the ones about us subsiding increases in SBS advertising. Those ones are bang on,” they said.

Never one to miss an opportunity, late yesterday afternoon Scott Cam and former teams from The Block and House Rules were being flown from Melbourne by the Channel Nine helicopter to repair the hole for an upcoming special Reno Rumble: Sinkhole Spectacular.

The sinkhole emergency also comes at a crucial time for Nine after recently appointing commercial property agents CBRE to oversee a long-awaited redevelopment of the 2.9ha property into residential housing.

Nine CEO David Gyngell, last seen rolling down Artarmon Road in a headlock by James Packer, could not be contacted for comment.

Police could not confirm if both had fallen down the sinkhole in tracky dacks and t-shirts.

Leila McKinnon is understood to have been embarrassed her husband was not wearing shoes.

Top Gear executive producer Andy Wilman has denied quitting the show after an email he wrote to staff acknowledging the ‘end of an era’ was leaked to an online motoring website Jalopnik.

“Well, at least we left ‘em wanting more. And that alone, when you think about it, is quite an achievement for a show that started 13 years ago,” he wrote. “I know none of us wanted it to end this way, but for a moment I’d like us to look back and think about just what an incredible thing you all had a hand in creating.

“Our stint as guardians of Top Gear was a good one, but we were only part of the show’s history, not the whole of it. Those two words are bigger than us.”

Wilman (pictured left), who helped relaunch the show with Jeremy Clarkson in 2002 has since denied it was a resignation email, saying it was a private “note of thanks” to the show’s 113 staff.

“The email I wrote yesterday was not a resignation statement, and nor was it meant for public consumption,” he has said in a statement published by BBC.

“It was a private note of thanks to 113 people who have worked on the show over the years, but clearly one of those 113 is a bit of a tit, because they shared it with a website.

“I don’t get this modern obsession with sharing, linking, forwarding, retweeting; whatever happened to a private moment?

“And if I were to resign, I wouldn’t do it publicly, I’d do it old school by handing in my, er, notice, to someone upstairs in HR.

“I work behind the camera and I wouldn’t presume for one moment to think people are interested in what I do. Now, everyone back to work.”

Meanwhile The Guardian reports Wilman is working with BBC2 controller Kim Shillinglaw to see what can be saved of the films shot for the three episodes of the show pulled after Jeremy Clarkson’s suspension, and how it would be packaged.

Arts administrator Betty Churcher, best known for presenting ABC arts programmes Betty Churcher’s Take 5 and Hidden Treasures, has died aged 84.

She died on Monday night, from cancer.

Churcher was one of the most adored figures in the Australian art community and a formidable and talented arts administrator. She was appointed director of the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) in 1990, a position she held until 1997. She was the first and so far only female director of the NGA. Before that, she was director of the Art Gallery of Western Australia.

She hosted several television shows in the 1990s and written several books, including The Art of War about war artists.

Current NGA director Gerald Vaughan has described Ms Churcher as one of Australia’s great artistic educators.

Dr Vaughn said she not only brought masterpieces to Australian shores, but she was able to explain how important they were to the Australian public.

“She was a person who loved art. She loved talking about art, she was an artist, her husband Roy, who died last year was an artist, one of her four sons, Peter Churcher, is a very distinguished contemporary Australian artist,” he told ABC.

“I have seen her not only on television but in a gallery situation communicating with the public about a picture.”

“It says in the dictionary that the definition of a gentleman is a chivalrous, courteous and honorable man, well that was ‘Waggers’ through and through, but added to that was his generosity, his gentle charm and his kind and caring nature, and overiding all that, his wonderfully naughty sense of humour.” she said.

“He once told me he had a very unhappy childhood, he was never cuddled or kissed by either of his parents and his two sisters were equally indifferent, a sad little boy who despite all that hurt grew into a wonderfuly joyous man.”

Wagstaff had organised much of the memorial himself, with a posthumous message: “Just to let you know that I have ‘shuffled off this mortal coil’ and I’d like to thank everyone who has shared with me all the ups and downs of these fascinating 90 years.

“There won’t be a funeral as I have donated my tired old body to the anatomy department of the University of Sydney. (Hey! I finally got to Uni!!). Thanks and farewell.”

Aussie-animated children’s series The Skinner Boys returns to Kids’ WB this weekend.

The 26 x 30 minute comedy adventure series for 8-12 year olds based on an original concept by Australian artist, Steve Lyons, follows three teenagers who have inherited a mansion of artefacts with special powers.

World explorer Augustus Skinner has died! Now, his three young teen grandsons have inherited the big, old Skinner mansion and its contents. But Grandfather Skinner also left them a big surprise – the Skinner Boys are now Guardians of the Lost Secrets… a collection of unique artefacts across the world that possess incredible powers.

An even bigger surprise is in store! Grandpa Skinner also appointed a fourth Guardian, their feisty teenage cousin Tara. And as these boys know almost nothing about girls – she’s probably their biggest challenge of all and vice-versa.

As the anonymous Guardians of these artefacts, Tara and the boys must dedicate their lives to protecting them against the forces that would use their powers for evil and endanger the planet. In the wrong hands, the Rixa Ruby, which has the power to create great conflict or harmony, could give its owner the power to start wars. Or the Drums of Doom, which when played in the right order could hypnotise the whole world via computers. This is the legacy of Grandpa Skinner.

But these unsuspecting kids have a secret weapon – their youth. Nobody would ever guess that four goof-ball teens would be capable of outsmarting the powerfully evil Shadowy League and protecting the world. It’s like handing the keys to the world to an erratic teenager. Times four!

The series has been produced by broadcast partners Nine Network Australia and SRTL along with partners, Telegael, Top Draw Animation and Home Plate Entertainment. The series will be distributed locally and in New Zealand by SLR Productions with international distribution through ZDFE.

With AFL kicking off tomorrow and the Essendon saga back in the headlines, The Footy Show is airing tonight on Nine.

Award-winning newsbreaker Damian Barrett has the inside story and all the latest developments on The Footy Show, in a special edition this Wednesday night at 8.30pm on Channel Nine.

Essendon leadership group member Brendon Goddard heads up the panel, revealing how the Bombers reacted to the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal’s not guilty verdict, and how the club and players plan to move forward.

North Melbourne won plenty of fans with their performance in September. Can they keep improving in 2015? Kangaroos’ champ Nick Dal Santo talks about his team’s chances for the year – just how far can they go?

We chat live with cult hero and new Adelaide captain Tex Walker. And after six long months… the footy’s finally back! We preview all the Round One action with blockbuster games between bitter foes Hawthorn and Geelong and Carlton and Richmond. Will your team get off to a flyer or be left 0-1?

Plus, we announce how your local footy club could win a brand new Nissan NP300 Navara.

Dave Hughes hits Punt Road for his next spray. Which Tigers will cop it from Hughesy?

On this week’s Street Talk, Sam Newman heads to Werribee to ask if the Pies have come to the end of the line with their latest marketing campaign.

They’ve swum with sharks, bungee jumped, been locked in Big Bill’s House and subjected to all manner of revolting things, so what awaits the boys on the next certainty challenge?

National Geographic drama Killing Jesus pulled the biggest US audience in the channel’s history at 3.7m viewers on Sunday.

According to Deadline, the adaptation of Bill O’Reilly’s book Killing Jesus, pulled a 1.0 rating in adults 25-54, the highest rating for that demo since the 2013 premiere of O’Reilly’s Killing Kennedy.

Killing Kennedy nabbed 3.4 million viewers in 2013 launch, and Killing Lincoln, both by O’Reilly, had 3.35m in 2013.

Killing Jesus features Kelsey Grammer as King Herod the Great; Stephen Moyer as Pontius Pilate; Haaz Sleiman in the title role as Jesus; Rufus Sewell as Caiaphas; Emmanuelle Chriqui as Herodia; Eoin Macken as Antipas; and John Rhys Davies as Annas.

The 3 hour film will air globally in 171 countries and premiere in Australia 7:30pm Friday on NatGeo.

This Easter Saturday Andrew Mercado will present an I Love Lucy Marathon on FOX Classics.

Classic episodes will air from 6am with the film The Long, Long Trailer to air from 7pm.

As Mr. Mercado will no doubt tell you, it was Desi Arnaz who is attributed with pioneering the 3 camera system of recording comedy. He wanted to grab every reaction shot of Lucy which in turn gave rise to syndication. Although there are suggestions it existed before this time too.

Either way DesiLu were brilliant at business -and comedy.

Starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz I Love Lucy is the iconic and much-loved series that ran from 1951 to 1957 screening 180 episodes over six seasons. The television series was pioneering in its comedy and content being the first to show an interracial couple on air – Lucille Ball and husband Desi Arnaz were married in real life and depicted a comical version of their marriage on the show. I Love Lucy was also the first to feature an actual pregnant woman playing a pregnant woman, which was ground-breaking for its time.

Following the marathon, FOX Classics will finish the day with the screening of the hilariously funny feature film, The Long, Long Trailer that’s sure to get everyone loving Lucy. The 1953 film stars Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Majorie Main, Keenan Wynn, Bert Freed, Oliver Blake and more. Nick (Arnaz) and Tracy (Ball) are two newlyweds travelling across the United States in an overloaded trailer trying to celebrate their honeymoon, however everything that can go wrong, does go wrong, with riotous results.

The 2015 Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal will be broadcast live on Channel Seven Melbourne this Friday, again based at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The day’s coverage will begin at 9am with Seven News’ Jennifer Keyte and Nick McCallum reporting firsthand the inspiring stories of doctors, nurses, children and families at the Royal Children’s Hospital.

Over at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) Tim Watson and Bruce McAvaney will commence hosting as the phone lines are opened and the donations start flowing in. They will be joined throughout the day by the team at Channel 7, including Peter Mitchell from Seven News, David Koch and Sam Armytage from Sunrise, The Morning Show’s Larry Emdur, Million Dollar Minute host Simon Reeve and members of Seven’s AFL commentary team.

A special edition of Seven News will be hosted by Jacqueline Felgate at midday, with reports from our journalists based in communities across Victoria. Cast members and presenters from Channel 7 hit shows Home And Away, Winners & Losers, Better Homes And Gardens and My Kitchen Rules will pay special visits to children at the Royal Children’s Hospital before reading out donations on the evening panels and taking calls in the phone room.

At night, Hamish McLachlan and Edwina Bartholomew will introduce some of the biggest names in Australian entertainment as the Good Friday Appeal Charity Gala takes to the stage live from the Plenary – MCEC’s 1,800 seat, state-of-the-art auditorium – with performances from Lee Kernaghan, Jessica Mauboy, Taylor Henderson, Justice Crew, Marlisa, and many more.

Families wanting to join in the fun can attend the annual Kids Day Out at MCEC – an all-day event filled with activities for children of all ages. The Good Friday Appeal, which started in 1931 and has been broadcast on Channel 7 for the last 57 years, unites Victorians with the common goal of helping Victoria’s sick children.

The iconic and unrivalled fundraising event has raised more than $274 million for the benefit of the Royal Children’s Hospital. A record breaking $16,846,396.09 was donated in 2014. To donate this year, please call 1300 277 325 or visit the Good Friday Appeal website.

The Good Friday Appeal telecast is live from 9am on Friday, April 3 on Channel 7 (Melbourne).

ABC’s Doctor Blake Mysteries has its finale this Friday night, having enjoyed another season of excellent figures.

Regularly sitting between 800,000 – 950,000 viewers it is easily ABC’s strongest local drama series -if not TV’s most popular across all networks.

Fans will soon be awaiting news about a possible fourth season.

An ABC spokesperson today said the show had not yet been recommissioned, although TV Tonight is hearing encouraging whispers around the traps….

Craig McLachlan is also up for a Silver Logie as Most Popular Actor in May.

The finale airs 8:30pm Friday on ABC.

When a magistrate is found poisoned the clues point towards various pillars of the town, all of them associated with the Masonic Lodge.

But as Blake digs deeper, he finds disturbing echoes in the death of his own mother, forty years earlier. And while Blake inches towards an answer, Jean prepares to say goodbye, in preparation for moving to Adelaide and her own family, and out of Blake’s life.

Guest stars Marg Downey as Evelyn, John Wood as Tyneman, John Stanton as Doug Ashby, David Whiteley as Hobart, Rod Mullinar as Clement.

The Walking Dead finale drew big numbers in the USA, ending its highest-rated season with 15.8m viewers, a record for a TWD finale.

According to preliminary Nielsen estimates, the fiasle averaged an 8.2 rating in adults 18-49 — up about 3% on 2014.

It was the second highest demo rating (tied with its season 4 premiere and behind only the season 5 premiere) and the third largest overall viewership total in the show’s 70-episode history.

Variety notes that Empire, the hottest new show of this season, wrapped earlier this month with a lower demo rating (6.9) but more total viewers (17.62 million). That makes TWD US television season’s No. 1-rated entertainment series in 18-49.

In Australia it pulled 69,000 and 67,000 in two separate screenings, the highest-rated non-sports show on Foxtel yesterday.

Another enjoyable episode of Stop Laughing… This is Serious tomorrow night on ABC, which focusses on our ability to take the piss out of ourselves.

“Look At Moi, Look At Moi” (Kath and Kim) looks inwards at the importance of our ability to laugh at ourselves and how this has become a quintessential Australian trait. From Edna Everage, the mousy Melbourne housewife, and Sandy Stone – the man to whom nothing ever happens, to Aussie battlers like Dad and Dave, Paul Hogan and Kenny, we realise that what’s right under our very own nose is often the funniest thing of all.

Australian audiences couldn’t get enough of the series Kath and Kim perhaps because they could see themselves in it. The humour came from the familiarity. Similarly, Dame Edna pointed out the minutiae of the every day, making the mundane funny for the first time as she revealed so much about our own lives. With another character Sandy Stone, Barry Humphries expanded on this theme and found a winning combination of pathos and humour in the spectacularly uneventful life of an ageing pensioner. We see how comedians like Denise Scott and Dave Hughes continued to celebrate suburban normality in their own stand up routines while hit movies The Castle and Kenny have made a box office success of championing ordinary people – like us.

We look at the rise of the Aussie battler in our comedy characters – from The Sentimental Bloke to Kenny, the battler is an ever-popular figure. Epitomised by Paul Hogan with his cast of characters in the 1970s, our love of the battler culminated in the heroic Crocodile Dundee – as Mick Dundee, an exaggerated outback larrikin took the world by storm in the 1980s. Paul Hogan also unashamedly presented his own ocker Australian accent on TV – showing us that our own voice can provide humour.

“Look At Moi, Look At Moi” continues to explore how our comedy now reflects an inclusiveness about who we are now – a multicultural society, with a diversity of voice from Sean Choolburra to Kevin Kropinyeri, from Nick Giannopoulos to Hung Le, Mary Coustas and Nazeem Hussain.

This second episode of the three part series Stop Laughing… this is serious ultimately highlights that while our comedic voice changes and evolves constantly, it always reminds us that one of our greatest assets is to be able to laugh at ourselves, whoever we are.

Foxtel has confirmed airdates for a number of its premium Drama shows, premiering in April.

They include local productions, new series and returning series. Highlights include Deadline Gallipoli, Wentworth, Game of Thrones, Mad Men, and Outlander.

BBC First’s Wolf Hall is attracting critical acclaim while The Field of Blood, Kingdom (pictured) and Togetherness are also new.

The Field of Blood
Two Hour Special
BBC First
Wednesday April 1 at 8.30pmFirst on Foxtel The Field Of Blood is based on the best-selling crime novel from a series by Denise Mina. Set in Glasgow in 1982, Paddy Meehan is a young girl who dreams of being an investigative reporter and seizes the opportunity when a young boy is kidnapped and found murdered. Paddy sees connections to a year-old crime that nobody else sees and is determined to make it her story. But when Paddy crosses the line, she becomes outcast from her family and puts lives at risk. As she gets closer to the murderer the price of achieving her dream will prove greater than she can ever imagine.

Outlander
S1 Part B
SoHo
Sundays from April 5 at 7.30pmExpress from the US Outlander continues in Part B of Season 1 to follow Claire Randall (Caitriona Balfe), a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743 where she navigates the hidden dangers of 18th Century Scotland and an unknown world where her freedom and life is at risk. When she is forced to marry Jamie, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate affair is ignited that tears Claire’s heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives. Also stars Sam Heughan and Tobias Menzies

Mad Men
S7 Part B (Final Series)
showcase
Mondays from April 6 at 3.30pmExpress from the US Mad Men – starring Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, and January Jones – is an incredibly popular drama series that takes place in the 1960s at a New York City advertising agency on Madison Avenue. Since its premiere, Mad Men has been a critical and awards darling, scoring 15 Emmy Award wins (including four for Best Drama), and winning four Golden Globes® (three for Best Drama and one for Jon Hamm for Best Actor). As the series draws to a close in its seventh season Don Draper has finally begun to make progress in his career but he faces loss in his personal life. The final episodes include scenes where the partners of SC&P watch the historic Apollo 11 moon landing on television.

Wentworth
S3
SoHo
Tuesdays from April 7 at 8.30pmLocal Production Wentworth draws on characters and elements of the iconic Prisoner series as it builds its own brave and bold, contemporary story. This ASTRA Award-winning drama has captured local and international attention for its high production standards, compelling storylines and terrific performances from the ensemble cast. Four months have passed since the events of Season 2 and having been returned to Wentworth following her successful campaign to kill Brayden Holt, Bea Smith has assumed the mantle of Top Dog, hailed by all – including Franky Doyle. Starring Danielle Cormack, Nicole da Silva, Pamela Rabe, Kate Atkinson, Celia Ireland, Shareena Clanton, Katrina Milosevic, Aaron Jeffery, and Robbie Magasiva.

Kingdom
S1
FX
Tuesdays from April 7 at 9.30pmFirst on Foxtel Kingdom is a raw family drama set against the world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in Venice, California. When word gets out that superstar Ryan Wheeler is training with Alvey, finally Alvey begins to taste a bit of the glamour to go with the grit. He’s willing to go through extraordinary means to make sure his fighters are taken care of but all of this success and responsibility comes at a steep price. Starring Frank Grillo, Kiele Sanchez, Matt Lauria, Jonathan Tucker, Nick Jonas, and Joanna Going.

Wolf Hall
S1
BBC First
Saturdays from April 11 at 8.30pmFirst on Foxtel Wolf Hall is the critically acclaimed six-part adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s Booker Prize-winning novels Wolf Hall and its sequel Bring Up The Bodies. The lavish history drama chronicles the rise of Thomas Cromwell, the son of a humble blacksmith who became King Henry VIII’s chief minister as he navigated the corridors of power in the Tudor court. Directed by BAFTA-winning Peter Kosminsky and starring Damian Lewis (Homeland) as Henry VIII, Olivier and Tony Award-winner Mark Rylance (The Other Boleyn Girl) as Thomas Cromwell, and Claire Foy (Upstairs Downstairs) as the calculating and ambitious Anne Boleyn.

Game Of Thrones
S5
showcase
Mondays from April 13 at 11.00amExpress from the US HBO’s global phenomenon drama Game of Thrones returns with a fifth season of duplicity and treachery, nobility and honour, conquest and triumph. Based on the bestselling book series by George R.R. Martin, Game of Thrones is a 10-time Emmy®-winning drama set in the fantasy continent of Westeros, where ambitious men and women of both honour and ill-repute live in a land where summers and winters can last years. Though a fantasy, the series is driven by all-too-human ambitions and desires as kings and queens, knights and renegades, noblemen and liars vie for power.

VEEP
S4
showcase
Mondays from April 13 at 7.00pmExpress from the US VEEP stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld) as former senator Selina Meyer who became Vice President only to find the job was nothing like she expected. After the President’s resignation in Season 3, Selena was sworn in as President turning her election campaign into a re-election campaign, however her struggles in the primaries could see her leadership tenure become one of the shortest in history. Julia Louis-Dreyfus has won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for VEEP for three consecutive years. Tony Hale has won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his portrayal of Selina’s assistant Gary. The show also stars Anna Chlumsky, Matt Walsh, Reid Scott, Timothy C. Simons, Sukfe Bradshaw and Kevin Dunn.

Reign
S2
FOX8
Tuesdays from April 14 at 7.30pmFirst on Foxtel Reign explores what’s hidden between the lines in the history books about Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. The second season begins with Mary and Francis on the throne of France, however the nation is rocked by the aftereffects of the plague. From the ashes powerful lords will rise, carrying out personal, religious and political vendettas, taking lives, and tearing at Mary and Francis’ commitment to their people – and to each other. Reign stars Australian actress Adelaide Kane.

The Americans
S3
SoHo
Wednesdays from April 15 at 8.30pmFirst on Foxtel The Americans is a period drama about the complex marriage of two KGB spies posing as Americans in Washington D.C. shortly after Ronald Reagan is elected President in the 1980s. The arranged marriage of Philip and Elizabeth Jennings (Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell) – who have two children who know nothing about their parents’ true identities – grows more passionate and genuine by the day. However they are constantly tested by the escalation of the Cold War and the intimate, dangerous and darkly funny relationships they must maintain with a network of spies and informants under their control.

Deadline Gallipoli
Two Part Series
showcase
Sunday April 19 & Saturday April 20 at 8.30pmLocal Production Deadline Gallipoli explores the Gallipoli legend from the point of view of war correspondents Charles Bean, Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett, Phillip Schuler and Keith Murdoch, who bore witness to the extraordinary events that unfolded one hundred years ago. The compelling four hour mini-series shown over two nights captures the heartache and futility of war as seen through the eyes of the journalists who reported it. Joel Jackson stars as Bean, Hugh Dancy as Bartlett, Ewen Leslie as Murdoch, and Sam Worthington as Schuler. Charles Dance plays Hamilton, the Commander of the Gallipoli campaign, Bryan Brown plays General Bridges and John Bell plays Lord Kitchener.

Togetherness S1 showcase Tuesdays April 21 at 7.30pm First on Foxtel Togetherness is a new “couples” comedy from HBO set in Los Angeles. Created by the Duplass Brothers, the series follows Brett and Michelle (Mark Duplass and Melanie Lynskey) who are struggling to rekindle the spark in their relationship, which has puttered out from the stresses of marriage and children. When Brett’s friend Alex (Steve Zissis) and Michelle’s sister Tina (Amanda Peet) move in with them, the foursome engage in a tragically comedic struggle to follow their personal dreams while still remaining good friends, siblings, and spouses to each other.

The Following
S2
FX
Wednesdays from April 22 at 8.30pmFirst on Foxtel In the season two premiere of The Following a healthy and healed Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon) is living in New York City one year after his pursuit of serial killer Joe Carroll. On the surface, it appears that Ryan’s gotten his life back together but deep down his obsession with Joe continues to grow. Then, on the anniversary of Carroll’s death, a murderous new rampage leaves everyone shocked and determined to discover the truth. Starring Kevin Bacon, Shawn Ashmore, Valorie Curry, Sam Underwood, Jessica Stroup, Tiffany Boone, Connie Nielsen, and James Purefoy.

Atlantis
S2
FOX8
Sundays from April 26 at 6.30pmFirst on Foxtel Atlantis is a fantasy drama set in a world of legendary heroes and mythical creatures from the same team who worked on BBC hit Merlin. Far from home, Jason washes up on the shores of the ancient and mysterious city of Atlantis. Fans were rocked by the shocking reveal at the end of the first series and in this season Pasiphae’s desire to reign has not subsided. Jason’s personal involvement with Ariadne is surely a complication for Pasiphae, but will the knowledge that Jason is her son weaken her resolve?

]]>http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2015/03/airdate-kingdom-togetherness-the-field-of-blood-returning-reign-atlantis.html/feed4If it’s Easter it must be time for branded contenthttp://www.tvtonight.com.au/2015/03/if-its-easter-it-must-be-time-for-branded-content.html
http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2015/03/if-its-easter-it-must-be-time-for-branded-content.html#commentsTue, 31 Mar 2015 01:22:58 +0000http://www.tvtonight.com.au/?p=225989

According to the synopsis: Tom, Rach and Rosso head to the South Pacific onboard Australia’s largest cruise ship. But will this turn out to be a holiday nightmare? Or will what’s on board turn them into cruise converts?

Another question could have been, ‘How much did Royal Caribbean pay for the one hour of primetime content they will be getting?’

This is hardly the first ‘branded content’ special on commercial television, but it’s one of the few to secure primetime on a weeknight. Normally such puff pieces are afforded a weekend afternoon slot. But in non-ratings time networks will cheerfully put a price on an hour of branded content, ahead of scripted drama.

Nine has similarly run lifestyle fare with Women’s Weekly branding in primetime, but audiences would be justified in asking which is sponsorship and which is merely an advertorial designed to push a product?

Marketing manager Rosie Rissetto-Spiers told Mumbrella that Royal Caribbean had “largely” relinquished control of the production to Seven.

“We were really clear on what parts of the experience we wanted to offer the three celebrities on board, but we came to the table very much not wanting this to be an explicit branded piece,” she said.

“It wasn’t about how many mentions we had or logo placement. It was about getting those celebrities to experience what Royal Caribbean can offer on Voyager of the Seas.”

Seven has renewed its broadcast deal of the Sydney to Hobart with the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia for another 5 years.

Seven’s deal includes broadcast television and online, mobile, social and digital platforms, including global online rights and mobile rights to live stream.

Seven Network’s Head of Sport, Mr Saul Shtein said: “Seven has a long association with yachting – with our coverage of the America’s Cup and for many years, the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, along with our commitment to our world championship winning 18’ skiff campaign and partnership with the Oatley family and the remarkable Wild Oats XI.

“The blue water classic is one of the great sports events in Australia and we are looking forward to delivering a world-class coverage to all Australians across our broadcast television and digital platforms along with expanding our coverage of the race in Sunrise and Seven News.”

Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Commodore, John Cameron, said, “The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia is delighted to extend the exclusive broadcast and internet rights to the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race start to the Seven Network for a further five years from the 2016 race.

“Seven has been our broadcast partner since 2005 and since that time has demonstrated outstanding production values and techniques which have allowed the Australian public and worldwide internet audience the ability to watch the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, a race that is regarded as the greatest and most challenging ocean race in the world.”

Over the past 70 years, the Rolex Sydney Hobart has become an icon of Australia’s summer sport, ranking in public interest with such national events as the Melbourne Cup horse race, the Australian Open tennis and the cricket tests between Australia and England. No regular annual yachting event in the world attracts such huge media coverage than does the start on Sydney Harbour.

Over the years, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia has had a marked influence on international ocean yacht racing. The club has influenced the world in race communications and sea safety, maintaining the highest standards for yacht race entry.

The series is created by David Gelb and produced by Boardwalk Pictures. David Gelb, Andrew Fried, Brian McGinn and Matt Weaver are Executive Producers with Dane Lillegard as Co-Executive Producer for Boardwalk Pictures.

The series is directed by David Gelb, Andrew Fried, Brian McGinn and Clay Jeter.

South-African born stand-up comedian Trevor Noah has been announced as the new host on The Daily Show, replacing the outgoing Jon Stewart.

Noah only debuted on the show as senior international correspondent in December.

Comedy Central released a statement confirming the appointment:

Trevor Noah has been selected to become the next host of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning The Daily Show.

Noah joined The Daily Show in 2014 as a contributor. He made his U.S. television debut in 2012 on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and has also appeared on Late Show with David Letterman, becoming the first South African stand-up comedian to appear on either late-night show. Noah has hosted numerous television shows including his own late-night talk show in his native country, Tonight with Trevor Noah.

He was featured on the October 2014 cover of GQ South Africa and has been profiled in Rolling Stone, Newsweek and The Wall Street Journal, and by CNN and NPR’s Talk of the Nation, among others. He continues to tour all over the world and has performed in front of sold out crowds at the Hammersmith Apollo in London and the Sydney Opera House in Australia.

Noah commented on today’s news via Twitter: “No-one can replace Jon Stewart. But together with the amazing team at The Daily Show, we will continue to make this the best damn news show!”

He sat at the top of pop culture fandom as Party of Five‘s Bailey during the 1990s and more recently played Dr. Scott Clemmens on NBC’s The Night Shift, but Scott Wolf is drawn to meaningful work over fandom.

While he recalls the frenzy of teenage girls and magazine covers his 6 years on the show were much more work-focussed.

“If we were doing that show today our experience would have been radically different because of every aspect of social media and the access people seem to have to everyone else,” he says.

“We sort of felt immune to a lot of it, but we would do a shopping mall appearance and you would get this crazy wave of what it was meaning to young girls. It was pretty intense. I did get tackled at the movie theatre here and there. I don’t necessarily miss that. But I’m glad I had the experience.

“The show was so well done that I always felt so lucky to be a part of it. The writing was really good and it took the characters seriously. We got to work with great material with fleshed out characters. So I was so focussed on that, that all of the ‘stuff’ that came with it I never really had all that hard a time dealing with. It was never the most important part of it.

“But it was really meaningful to me that the show we were making meant something to people.

“I’m still proud of it all this time later.”

Wolf in Australia last week to promote The Night Shift, an adrenalin-fuelled medical series set in the ER of a Texan hospital. Starring Eoin Macken, Jill Flint, Ken Leung and Freddy Rodriguez, it is now in its second season on NBC, and airs in Australia on Universal.

Wolf joined the show halfway through the first season around the time he says it was beginning to find its creative voice.

“Obviously it’s thrilling and on-the-edge of your seat in terms of the traumatic injuries that come flying through this ER in the middle of the night. But there’s an irreverence about it, there’s romance, and a lot of different things it’s trying to accomplish. I think it found the blend that makes this show what it is part-way through the first season, and it’s grown this year,” he says.

“I’ve done other shows that are incredibly well-written and the individual actors that are assembled are remarkably talented, but something about the chemistry of everyone doesn’t click.

“In this there is a great chemistry on and off-camera amongst the people that I think it’s why the audience has gravitated towards it.”

Basing the show around a late night crew also lends the story to erratic characters and energetic storylines, some of which are unique to the time setting and even the odd ‘full moon.’

“Part of it is that the night shift is inherently inhabited by people who live a little bit on the edge. Not only the people who are working the shift but anybody who is up at 4 in the morning and finding ways to hurt themselves traumatically… it’s a unique brand of person and medicine,” he continues.

“There’s one episode where it’s a slow night and they’re having wheelchair races and one of the less-experienced people says, ‘Man it’s a slow night.’ And everyone just looks at each other and thinks ‘You just full-mooned us.’

“Sure enough the doors blast open and away we go.”

Wolf says there are also key differences to its obvious contemporary, ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, .

“Grey’s Anatomy is a great show and has had an incredible run but the pacing of things is a lot slower. There’s time for doctors to stand around and talk about things. But in this case often there’s a dozen terribly injured people coming in at the same time. So things are zero to sixty all night long.

“With this show everything is at stake all the time. There’s life and death on the line. Playing a character who really devotes himself to doing anything he can to save lives has been a pretty remarkable experience.

“But the personal side is a bit of a shambles. He’s been in a love triangle that hasn’t gone his way, and he’s having to manage working with his ex, and staying committed to his work life. This show keeps all of the characters off balance in a great way.”

Yet one of the biggest challenges he’s faced has been endeavouring to appear proficient with the medical procedures -not just in terms of the language, but in execution too.

“There have been a lot of great medical shows in the history of television and most of the time they are pretty careful about what they show in terms of how graphic things are. In this particular case when we open up a chest and we’re sewing someone together or cutting tissue out, they have cameras aimed directly into the chest or leg.

“The show wants to be a little more graphic and confrontational, but as a result we don’t get to just move our hands around and act ‘as if.’ We have to be technically doing everything our character is doing. So we’re really suturing and cutting the prosthetics we’re using.

“I should float out there that we may or may not be using actual human beings on the show! That would be good for ratings!”

Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams will take up a guest role in the next Doctor Who season.

Best known as Arya Stark in the epic HBO drama, she can also be seen this week in the excellent drama The Cyberbully on ABC.

“I’m so excited to be working on Doctor Who as it’s such a big and important part of British Culture. I can’t wait to meet the cast and crew and start filming, especially as we’ll be shooting not too far from my home town,” she said.

Steven Moffat, lead writer and Executive Producer, added: “We’re thrilled to have Maisie Williams joining us on Doctor Who. It’s not possible to say too much about who or what she’s playing, but she is going to challenge the Doctor in very unexpected ways. This time he might just be out of his depth, and we know Maisie is going to give him exactly the right sort of hell.”

]]>http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2015/03/game-of-thrones-star-to-guest-in-doctor-who.html/feed4‘Quirky’ items not about to dumb down SBS World Newshttp://www.tvtonight.com.au/2015/03/quirky-items-not-about-to-dumb-down-sbs-world-news.html
http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2015/03/quirky-items-not-about-to-dumb-down-sbs-world-news.html#commentsMon, 30 Mar 2015 17:53:44 +0000http://www.tvtonight.com.au/?p=225944

SBS has responded to media reports suggesting it plans to dumb down SBS World News with more ‘quirky’ news items, to deter viewers from switching.

It follows The Guardian claiming executive producer Andrew Clark writing to staff to include colourful stories because stories about the Middle East, refugees, Indigenous Australians and Ebola were “a turn off.”

But an SBS statement on Fairfax stressed the news bulletin’s “primary focus” remained major international stories.

“The executive producer’s email to his team was about story placement and promotion – not story selection – and structure of the second half hour of the bulletin in order to grow audiences,” it read.

“The second half of the SBS World News bulletin has always contained a diverse mix of stories, many focussed on multicultural issues, such as Naomi Selvaratnam’s report on blackmail in Australia’s Indian community and Katrina Yu’s story on the challenge of young Chinese finding partners …”

SBS is trialling a news teaser at 6:55pm to prevent viewers from switching to ABC News at 7pm.

TV networks put forward their suggestions for the annual award, which is then selected by a panel. TV week supplied the following guidelines:

The Hall of Fame Award honours people and programs that have helped shape the most important and influential medium of our time, aiming to recognise an outstanding contribution to Australian television.

While this is a life achievement award, recipients may yet have further work of significance to be accomplished.

The list of previous Hall of Fame recipients highlights the calibre of talent required to entertain, inform, inspire and enrich an audience.

Free-to-air and subscription TV networks are invited to nominate individuals or programs for the Hall of Fame Award. Entrants are required to ensure all candidates are aware of and accept the submission before sending the completed Hall of Fame submission form to TV WEEK for consideration.

Points to consider in the submission for Hall of Fame are: · A demonstrated commitment to excellence in Australian television · Contribution to the enrichment of Australian television culture · Key achievements, including past awards · Current projects · Training and background · Any additional information

Entrants are required to complete a Most Outstanding Awards – Hall of Fame submission form for each eligible candidate.

Where a recipient is recognised posthumously (eg. Steve Irwin, Brian Naylor, Peter Harvey) they must be inducted in the ceremony following their death, or not at all. But as Australian Television approaches 60 years, more iconic names will be contenders for posthumous recognition. In the last 12 months we’ve lost Ian Ross, Bill Kerr, Wendy Hughes, Coralie Condon, Norman Yemm, Terry Gill, Stuart Wagstaff. Sure, not all are worthy of Hall of Fame, but they do suggest an ageing industry.

So is it time to induct 1 man, 1 woman, 1 show?

In the US the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences inducts up to 6 individuals every year, in a separate ceremony. Last year they included Jay Leno, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss and even Rupert Murdoch.

While nobody wants to see the Logie ceremony drag on all night, we still have a lengthy list of worthy contenders that will be waiting a long time for induction.

BBC Drama Poldark will premiere on ABC on Sunday April 12, replacing Broadchurch which has its finale this weekend.

Aidan Turner (Being Human) stars as British soldier Ross Poldark who returns home to Cornwall after fighting in the American War of Independence.

As with the 1975 series starring Robin Ellis, both dramas were based on the novels of writer Winston Graham.

This is an eight-part adaptation of the first two novels in Winston Graham’s Poldark series starring Aidan Turner (The Hobbit Trilogy, Being Human) as Ross Poldark and Eleanor Tomlinson (Death Comes to Pemberley, Jack the Giant Slayer) as Demelza Carne. Robin Ellis, who played Ross in the first television adaptation of the Poldark novels in the 1970s, appears in two episodes as Reverend Halse.

Ross Poldark joins the army to avoid charges of smuggling. He goes to fight in the American War of Independence leaving behind his sweetheart, Elizabeth (Heida Reed), with the promise that he will return soon. Three years later, wounded and scarred, Ross returns home to discover that his father has died, his estate is in ruins and Elizabeth is set to marry his cousin, Francis (Kyle Soller).

Elizabeth and Francis are married. Ross is surprised to see that callous banker George Warleggan (Jack Farthing) is at the groom’s side. Ross’ uncle, Charles Poldark (Warren Clarke) thinks that it would be better for the newlyweds if Ross were to leave Cornwall and he offers to pay for Ross to make a fresh start elsewhere.

Ross stubbornly refuses, determined to rebuild his family estate, Nampara. With only the help of his father’s useless servants, Jud and Prudie (Phil Davies and Beatie Edney), Ross takes on a new kitchen-maid, Demelza, after he rescues her from a beating.

When Elizabeth makes it clear that she no longer loves him, Ross furiously decides to leave Cornwall. However, Demelza’s abusive father turns up to take her back and brings with him a gang of brutish thugs determined to fight. Seeing the local miners stand up for him and take on the gang, Ross realises that his home is in Cornwall amongst his friends. On his way back to Nampara, he sees Elizabeth who has come to beg him to stay and it is clear to Ross that she still has feelings for him.

Production credits: Based on the novels by Winston Graham. Written and created for television by Debbie Horsfield. Produced by Eliza Mellor. Directed by Ed Bazalgette and William McGregor. Executive Producers: Debbie Horsfield, Karen Thrussell and Damien for Mammoth Screen; Polly Hill for BBC and Rebecca Eaton for Masterpiece.

Tonight on Insight, host Jenny Brockie meets students from Holroyd High in Western Sydney, where six out of 10 students are refugees.

Around a third of its pupils have been in Australia for less than three years. Some have never been to school before arriving at Holroyd. Some arrive at the school with a traumatic history. Most speak little or no English.

The hurdles to academic achievement are significant. Yet last year 54 per cent of year 12 students at Holroyd High received first round university offers. The national average is 30 per cent.

For many students this modest high school in Western Sydney provides a fresh start in a new country. For others, who’ve come from the local area, Holroyd High offers them a second chance and with a surprising new direction.

This week on Insight the students and teachers from Holroyd High share their stories of resilience, their aspirations and their triumphs. How can schools like Holroyd prepare these kids for a new life in Australia?

Guests include:

Denise Carrick, Deputy Principal “We also believe in giving people a second chance … and often we go with our gut instinct.”

Taylah, student “My first opinion was it’s full of ‘imports’, like why would I go? … like I wouldn’t belong there, I’m true blue Aussie … I was a very angry person and now I’m like, at a school that I like and I’m happier…”

William, student “I think that Australia and the school wouldn’t be the same and we wouldn’t have the same perspective on it if there wasn’t people from different ethnic backgrounds.”

Muhannad, student “First night they told me you’re not allowed to stay in Australia and you have to be transferred to Nauru lsland…I said I had all this conditions, I left my home, I left whatever I had, all my memories in my country and to come here and then not accept us again?”

Chantelle, student “I thought ‘oh, [my classmate was] just like a normal kid who’s just come in’, [but] he came on a boat, he’s had all this terrible stuff happen to him. How did I not know this? He hid it very well.”

Dorothy Hoddinott, Principal “Young people should be looking to the future and people who are in their teens and finishing school should be arranging their lives for the future…they shouldn’t be denied that possibility.”

The first teaser for Fear the Walking Dead, the spin-off from The Walking Dead, was revealed yesterday.

Set in Los Angeles it has been described as starting out as a prequel at the dawn of the apocalypse before catching up with the original series.

It stars Cliff Curtis as Sean Cabrera, a teacher who shares a son with his ex-wife. Sons of Anarchy‘s Kim Dickens co-stars as Nancy, a guidance counsellor who works at the school with Sean and is seeing him romantically. Frank Dillane co-stars as Nancy’s son Nick, who has battled a drug problem.

Writer Michael Laurence, best known for creating Return to Eden, has died aged 79.

He died last week following a long illness.

He began his professional career as a child actor in Sydney radio, before winning a two year scholarship at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He worked as an actor in the UK and Australia, including at Sydney’s Philip Theatre and the Melbourne Theatre Company.

His writing credits include The Godfathers (including all 72 episodes for Nine), The People Next Door, Number 96, The Lost Islands, The Young Doctors, The Last Frontier, Shadow of the Cobra and Which Way Home.

But it was the crocodile-saga Return to Eden, starring James Reyne and Rebecca Gilling, that was his biggest hit, with bumper ratings and overseas sales, particularly in France where it has been shown thirteen times. It still enjoys repeats all over the world. Nine recently flirted with the idea of a remake for the melodrama.

Laurence created several projects for McElroy and McElroy, including Which Way Home, with Cybill Shepherd and John Waters plus The Last Frontier with Linda Evans and Jason Robards.

Early acting credits include Homicide, The Long Arm, The Godfathers, The Spoiler, and The People Next Door.

Writing for IF, David Macdonald writes, “Michael Laurence was a one off. A very funny man, and great raconteur whom his friends will remember with joy. Australia has lost a rare talent.”

A premiere date for Thunderbirds are Go! has been locked in: Sunday, April 12, at 6.30pm on GO! A week later it will settle into a regular time of 6pm Sundays.

The anticipated revival of Thunderbirds has been remastered for modern audiences by ITV Studios, New Zealand-based Pukeko Pictures and Weta Workshop (Avatar, King Kong, The Lord of the Rings).

There are 26 episodes in total and the series has already been renewed for a second season. It will premiere in the UK this weekend.

Co-creators Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s timeless series celebrates its 50th anniversary using a unique mix of CGI animation and live-action model sets.

Featuring the world’s most famous family of heroes, the Thunderbirds team includes Parker, played by original cast member David Graham; the inventor Brains, voiced by Kayvan Novak (Fonejacker, Facejacker); John Tracy, voiced by Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Game of Thrones, Love Actually); and London field agent Lady Penelope, voiced by renowned actor Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl, Pride and Prejudice).

Set in the year 2060, Thunderbirds Are Go follows the adventures of the Tracy family headed by Jeff Tracy, an American multi-millionaire philanthropist whose five sons – Scott, John, Virgil, Gordon and Alan – are the force behind International Rescue, a top secret organisation committed to saving human life which is hidden on Tracy Island in the South Pacific.

The five Tracy Brothers each pilot a futuristic Thunderbird machine, which can operate from the depths of the oceans to the highest reaches of space.

Actor Don Hany has played many roles in his career, but miniseries Childhood’s End, filmed in Melbourne is a bit of a first.

“I’ve never worked on a sci-fi, but it was really interesting,” he recently told TV Tonight.

“It’s an Arthur C. Clarke book and it’s essentially the idea of what would happen if the aliens came with peacemaking, taking away all the wars and famine. So it’s a Utopia where they refuse to reveal themselves to us and we can’t deal with it.”

The miniseries for the Syfy channel also features Ashley Zukerman, Julian McMahon and Charles Dance.

Hany most recently appeared in the Showcase miniseries, Devil’s Playground, which is nominated for a Logie Award.

“There was a real passion about the story in the production office and it carried across to the story. People were writing from a very visceral place. So it was a luxury to be a part of, as an actor. That’s the way it should always be, but it’s not. And it’s not always indicative of a show’s success.”

He is currently playing a heart surgeon in Vancouver on the telemovie Heart Matters, featuring Melissa George and Dave Annable.

Having already played a in Offspring, he should be ably prepared for medical scenes, although Hany looks back on his role as a paediatrician with a cheeky grin.

“He just never understood his wife’s post-natal depression, so it was just a bad look for a paediatrician,” he concedes.

You only have until Friday to submit any opinions on proposed changes to the Commercial Television Code of Practice.

Commercial networks are pushing for M rated content to air from 7:30pm and MA15+ from 8:30pm while a separate AV classification, currently at 9:30pm, would be subsumed by MA15+. If approved, these could screen an hour earlier than at present.

If approved it would mean earlier and moderate broadcasts of violence, sex and nudity, language, drugs, suicide, adult themes, as early as 7:30pm and increasing in intensity from 8:30pm.

The proposal by FreeTV Australia comes at a time when ACMA data on children’s viewing indicates that highest viewing times for children is between 5 – 9pm, with 7pm the peak time.

Changes would also have impact on alcohol advertising and complaints surrounding News and Current Affairs.

FreeTV maintains the changes are about simplifying community safeguards.

A 6 week public consultation period closes on Friday if you wish to comment on the proposals

Submissions may be sent to Free TV Australia via post to
44 Avenue Road, Mosman NSW 2088
or via email to Code2015@freetv.com.au

You can glimpse Jacki Weaver in upcoming US series Blunt Talk, in which Patrick Stewart plays Walter Blunt, a Brit-born cable newsman on a mission to teach Americans how to think, act and behave (Piers Morgan, anyone?). But his wild off-air antics suggest a highly unorthodox teaching style.

Joining Jacki Weaver are Adrian Scarborough, Dolly Wells and Timm Sharp. The show is executive produced by Seth MacFarlane.

Starz has committed to two seasons of 10 episodes each, no broadcaster has yet been confirmed for Australia.

Airing from April 15, two days after its US screening, the Mike Judge-creates series is back for 10 more episodes based at Pied Piper.

This season’s tagline is, “See genius in a whole new light.”

In the high-tech gold rush of modern Silicon Valley, the people most qualified to succeed are often the least capable of handling success. Mike Judge (Office Space, Beavis & Butt-Head) takes Silicon Valley viewers inside the world of tech start-ups – and the socially awkward underdogs who try to navigate its lucrative potential.

HBO’s Emmy and Golden Globe nominated Silicon Valley charts the rising fortunes of Richard, an introverted computer programmer who lives in a “Hacker Hostel” start-up incubator along with his best friends.

Over the course of its 10-episode second season, Richard (Thomas Middleditch) and his brilliant but awkward Pied Piper team Erlich (T.J. Miller), Jared (Zach Woods), Gilfoyle (Martin Starr) and Dinesh (Kumail Nanjiani), struggle through the trials and tribulations of growing their company, while still staying true to Richard’s vision.

After last season’s TechCrunch Disrupt victory, the guys focus their energies this year on finding funding and establishing Pied Piper in a crowded sea of competitors, all while battling an assortment of legal and financial woes and petty revenge plans from Hooli overlord Gavin Belson (Matt Ross) and his competing platform, Nucleus. At Raviga, the empire created by Peter Gregory, big changes put pressure on Monica (Amanda Crew), who’s torn between her allegiance to Richard and her job working under a new head honcho, Laurie.

Filled with even more industry cameos, this season of Silicon Valley promises to skewer the tech world with even greater veracity and hilarity, as its heroes continue to fumble their way towards unimaginable success.

Reports have emerged that Jeremy Clarkson could still front an event next month in Sydney with Richard Hammond and James May, but without Top Gear Live branding.

The presenters’ contracts with the BBC, and its commercial arm, expire at the end of next week. Clarkson’s is not being renewed, meaning that he cannot be associated with the BBC Top Gear brand. But Clarkson has a separate contract with Sub-Zero, the name of the joint venture that runs the shows.

An event in Norway was already pulled due to the Clarkson controversy, but it remains a lucrative concept for all concerned.

The Guardian reports BBC Worldwide is in discussions with Brand Events while The Mirror suggests organisers could rename it Clarkson, May and Hammond Live or MPH Live -the name Clarkson, May and Hammond fronted prior to Top Gear Live.

“There’s lots of speculation about Top Gear at the moment – however no Top Gear Live shows have been cancelled and we are working through the implications of Jeremy’s contract not being renewed,” said a spokesman for BBC Worldwide. “We will update ticket holders as soon as possible.”

Next Sunday on The Book Club, Jennifer Byrne, Marieke Hardy and Jason Steger are joined by award-winning writer and slam poetry champion Maxine Beneba Clarke and ABC News 24’s Zoe Daniel (The World).

The panel will be discussing Roxane Gay’s debut novel An Untamed State – a story of privilege and poverty, race and gender, and ultimately of survival, all wrapped up in a page-turning thriller. It follows Mireille Jameson a middle-class Haitian woman who lives in America with her all-American, loving husband Michael and their infant son. Their fairy-tale existence is shattered when Mireille is kidnapped in broad daylight while visiting her family in Haiti. As her wealthy businessman father resists paying the ransom as a matter of principle, her ordeal stretches out into 13 torturous, hellish days in captivity, but the repercussions are felt for much longer.

The April Classic is Sally Morgan’s autobiography My Place. Chosen by Maxine, it has sold over 600,000 copies since its publication in 1987 and inclusion on various school curriculums. It’s a story of self discovery as West Australian writer Sally Morgan goes in search of her family story and along the way uncovers her indigenous heritage.

In a new segment on The Book Club, we invite our audience to send in their Video Comment or Question about this Classic for us to run on the show. We want you to start the conversation! Visit our website for details on how to upload your video, and get tips on how to shoot yourself on your smart phone or computer at: abc.net.au/tv/firsttuesday/ask

About the guests:

Maxine Beneba Clarke is an Australian writer and slam poetry champion of Afro-Caribbean descent. Her short story collection Foreign Soil won the 2013 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript and has since been shortlisted for the 2015 Stella Prize and the Indie Book Awards for 2015.

Zoe Daniel is a former ABC foreign correspondent who was the African correspondent from 2005-2007 and then spent 2009 reporting on the Khmer Rouge war crimes trials in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. As the Southeast Asian Correspondent she was based in Bangkok where she lived with her family. She writes about life in the field as a mother of young children in her 2014 memoir Storyteller. She currently hosts ABC News 24’s The World.

So far there are no numbers for Netflix’s official Australian subscribers but iiNet says it is already accounting for 15% of its internet traffic.

The country’s third-biggest fixed-line internet company is offering unmetered downloads as part of its partnership with the US streaming giant.

“Netflix has already reached 15 per cent of iiNet’s consumer traffic in the first two days since launch. We are terrifically excited by the response,” an iiNet spokesman told Fairfax.

The streaming giant is currently offering a free one month trial.

Fetch TV, which also partners with Netflix, also talked up their numbers. CEO Scott Lorson, said, “Fetch TV had high expectations for take up by our subscribers. Results through the first week have exceeded those expectations.”

But Australians who access Netflix US through a VPN have access to some 7000 more titles than those currently offered via its local portal.

Netflix chief executive and founder Reed Hastings said, “We couldn’t be more happy with the content we have got, the service quality, the relationships … it’s such a joy for Netflix to start to be a global company,” he said.

Australia’s victory in the ICC Cricket World Cup scored the biggest single audience on television so far this year at 2.22m viewers for Session 2.

It has eclipsed the Australian Open‘s 1.88m viewers and individual episodes of My Kitchen Rules (1.78m).

There were 856,000 watching in Melbourne and 723,000 in Sydney. Nine claims the Preliminary figure will rise to 2.4m viewers which will place it as the highest rated cricket game since the start of OzTAM in 2001. With Regional viewers will climb to 3.29m. It was just the shot in the arm Free to Air needs as it battles alternative entertainment forms.

Proving Live Sport is TV’s biggest drawcard there was also a whopping 522,000 watching the same event on Pay TV.

Session 1 scored 1.89m for Nine while Nine News had its biggest audience of the year at 1.96m viewers.

Nine obliterated the competition with a staggering 47.3% share -its biggest audience share since August 2012.

It was more than twice the share of Seven on 21.3%, and three times the audience of ABC 13.4% and TEN 12.7% while SBS had to settle for a 5.2% share.

But the disappointing news for Nine is that the numbers will not factor into the TV ratings year, with this week and next both out of survey across Easter.

ABC News (574,000) and Broadchurch (568,000) were best for ABC. TEN’s strongest remains Shark Tank (587,000) then Modern Family (490,000 / 400,000) and SBS ONE’s best was Last Days in Vietnam (238,000).

Undoubtedly it is a hard sell putting forward a tragedy as entertainment, especially one wherein the audience feels like they already know the story.

These proved to be challenges for Nine’s excellent Gallipoli miniseries, compounded by a languid style, a double episode premiere at 9:00 in February -two months before centenary celebrations. No doubt if the network had their time over again they would schedule things differently.

But they are lessons that play to the strengths of Foxtel’s Deadline Gallipoli miniseries. As a 2 x 2hr exercise it will screen on consecutive nights in the week preceding ANZAC Day. Significantly, it has been fashioned from the viewpoint of 3 journalists and 1 photographer, all desperate to tell the truth about what was happening on the Gallipoli peninsula. The poster tagline for this drama is “The First Casualty of War is the Truth.”

Like its recent contemporary, Deadline Gallipoli opens on the shores of ANZAC Cove as troops race from boats to the hills, dodging shrapnel like a scene from Saving Private Ryan. But we run with Australian journalist Charles Bean (Joel Jackson) instead of the young soldiers. We then flash back to 8 weeks earlier in Cairo. Indeed, the death-ridden trenches are barely seen again in the first 2 hours.

Instead we follow Bean, British journalist Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett (Hugh Dancy) and photographer Phillip Schuler (Sam Worthington) ahead of their landing at Gallipoli. These are largely three solo journeys, fore-runners perhaps to ‘embedded journalism.’ Keith Murdoch (Ewen Leslie) will play a later role in their impact on the campaign.

But all 4 will face stringent freedoms under General Hamilton (Charles Dance), who vets their reportage to ensure it portrays positive news back home. There is to be “no room for personal opinion, no deviation from the facts” but “rousing reports…. to keep the home fires burning.”

Before they even reach Gallipoli the men will train on Lemnos and Imbros Islands, while others will be sent home from Egypt due to attracting STDs.

Ashmead-Bartlett, deemed by Hamilton to be “more irritating than a dose of the clap” has the most focus of the 4 and drives the stiffest opposition to the military campaign. Hugh Dancy is excellent in this rather difficult role, given he was a dapper chap, mingling in high circles. It places him as fighting the establishment from within.

In his first major role NIDA graduate Joel Jackson is dazzling as Charles Bean, and it is a performance that will deservedly put him on the map. As the official war correspondent for Australia, his is a more empathetic role. But his dull reporting couldn’t match the tone of Ashmead-Bartlett, who branded him a ‘diarist’ not a journalist. Across the four hour drama he undergoes cathartic change in his pursuit of eyewitness accounts and relaying truth.

Photographer Philip Schuler (Worthington) begins by snapping hospital boat scenes and re-enactments with the troops in military training. But he is frustrated at being barred from the cove -until he will finally witness the horrors first hand. Worthington is matinee-idol strong as the man with an eye for action, yet Dancy and Jackson adopt more pivotal roles.

Ewen Leslie as Keith Murdoch plays a central role in the later stages of the story, placing the truth of the war above his personal safety. I had to keep reminding myself this man was father to Rupert Murdoch.

The fifth key role is Charles Dance as British General Ian Hamilton, whose leadership is questioned by the journalists. As with his powerful presence in dramas such as Game of Thrones, he brings gravitas to the series with his mellifluous voice and sheer presence.

As we know from other dramatisations, the Australians -frequently referred to as “colonials”- are amongst those essentially sacrificed by the British campaign, literally sent up trench ladders to be shot by the Turks. It is harrowing, uncompromising stuff.

There are also supporting roles by Rachel Griffiths, Anna Torv, Jessica De Gouw, Bryan Brown, John Bell, Dan Wylie and James Fraser.

Director Michael Rymer is the unseen star of this drama, a master at bringing to life the drama written by Jacquelin Perske, Shaun Grant, Stuart Beattie and Cate Shortland. He deftly juggles the emotions of the individuals within the opera of this war, wrapped around grand set pieces that are most satisfying for the committed viewer.

The staging of battle scenes and the demanding location shots impress on the screen. Produced in South Australia, it is utterly convincing as Turkey and its surrounds -indeed, it is hard to think of a finer television production the state has produced. Only the ‘drawing room’ scenes back in the UK are less engaging, a minor criticism of this most faithful work.

Sadly, Nine’s Gallipoli reminds us that not every richly-produced work will find an audience (I don’t know how awards season will split these two commendable projects). If television is here to entertain and inform, there should also be room to educate -a 100th anniversary is time for such honour. Matchbox Pictures and Full Clip productions manage to do all three.

Deadline Gallipoli airs 8:30pm Sunday April 19 and Monday April 20 on Showcase.

The Nine Network has won its first ratings week of the year -by just 0.2%.

Nine’s week was spearheaded by sport with the ICC Cricket World Cup driving a 43% share on Thursday. The week went down to a Saturday night battle with Seven, but Nine’s victory could be short-lived with Timeshifted numbers potentially delivering the win to Seven.

Network:
Nine: 30.6
Seven: 30.4
ABC: 17.3
TEN: 16.4
SBS: 5.3

The ICC Cricket World Cup scored 1.66m / 823,000 viewers for Nine, its biggest single audience so far this year. Next for Nine was The Block coded as Room Reveal (1.29m) / Sun: 1.14m, Nine News (Sun: 1.14m) and 60 Minutes (988,000).

My Kitchen Rules continues to dominate the landscape, at #1 with 1.71m viewers for Seven. Other brands included Seven News (Sun: 1.13m), Sunday Night (962,000) and Australia: The Story of Us (868,000).

The Doctor Blake Mysteries (869,000), Australian Story (804,000) and ABC News (Sat: 784,000) led for ABC.

The Odd Couple (709,000 / 637,000), Shark Tank (638,000) and NCIS (578,000) were best for TEN.

On SBS ONE it was Who Do You Think You Are? (304,000), Walking Through History (272,00) and The Missing Evidence (266,000).

Nine has announced the 8 teams from The Block & House Rules who will compete on Reno Rumble, a revived format expected to air after Easter.

Appearing from The Block are:
Josh (29) and Jenna (27), VIC – power couple from The Block 2011 and The Block: All Stars in 2013
Kyal (29) and Kara (27), NSW – the Super K’s from The Block: Fans v Faves in 2014
Michael (32) and Carlene (32), QLD – audience favourites from The Block Glasshouse in 2014
Ayden (31) and Jess (32), QLD – currently starring in The Block Triple Threat

Former contestants on House Rules are:
Carly (33) and Leighton (34), NSW – winners of House Rules season one in 2013
Michelle (50) and Steve (50), NSW – runners-up of House Rules season one in 2013
Nick (21) and Chris (26), VIC – brothers from House Rules season one in 2013
Jemma (28) and Ben (29), WA – newlyweds from House Rules season one in 2013

Scott Cam will host the series in which contestants renovate two suburban houses, with one team eliminated each week.

The homeowners are everyday Aussies who will have their dreams turned into reality as our superstar renovators transform their ordinary houses into stunning homes.

Who will reign supreme to collect the $100,000 winner’s cheque, with half going to the winning couple’s favourite charity?

Each home will be judged by interior design experts who have been briefed by the home owners on the style they want for their renovation.

Judging will be done ‘blind’ with judges not knowing who the teams are or which rooms they have renovated. A Reno Rumble base has also been fitted at Avalon airport. Teams also live in caravans around Melbourne during the production shoot, while the series has blue and red “cheerleader” visuals.

While The Block has under-performed this season, Seven is also set to launch a third season of House Rules following My Kitchen Rules.

The Federal Government is said to be open to the idea of a 50% cut to ­licence fees for Commercial TV networks in December 2016, followed by 50% decrease twelve months later.

The Australian reports the government is believed to be considering putting the licence fee cut before the Expenditure Review Committee.

Seven, Nine and TEN have received reductions under previous governments and now pay 4.5 per cent of gross revenues in licence fees. But they have called for further reductions whilst objecting to increased primetime ads being introduced to SBS.

A spokesman for Turnbull declined to comment.

Meanwhile SBS Managing Director Michael Ebeid writes in an article for the newspaper that advertising is not a new concept to SBS, with a third of our funding comes from commercial revenue.

“To think that SBS can walk up and take hard-earned revenue from commercial networks and create a seismic shift in the market wildly overstates our influence,” he wrote.

“SBS introduced in-program advertising in 2006. Since then, Google dominates the web, Facebook, Foxtel, FetchTV and Twitter have taken off, and the arrival of on-demand services like Stan, Presto and Netflix has everybody buzzing and engaged like never before.

“New players challenge all networks to look forward strategically and adjust their offering. SBS having this small change in advertising flexibility should be the least of anyone’s worries.”

TV Tonight hears whispers Prime7 is set to upload local News bulletins in full to their website.

At the moment raw stories are available without supers and presenter intros but Wagga, Orange, Albury, Tamworth, NSW North Coast, and GWN7 News Western Australia look set to be made available in full.

Testing has been underway for some time.

Meanwhile a new set has begun in Canberra in preparation for the 6:30 national news so that it no longer has the unfortunate look of coming from the same set as the Wagga, Orange and Albury local bulletins.

Tamworth and North Coast bulletins look set to be run out of Studio B while non-bulletin market updates will move to Studio C, which currently handles Prime7 weather.

Ex ABC presenter and former MasterChef favourite Poh Ling Yeow makes her series debut on SBS this week with Poh & Co.

She is joined by her husband Jono, best friend and business partner Sarah & husband Matt (who is also Poh’s own ex-hubby) mother & aunt and several others.

Is it just me or should we get ready for some subtext from this rather unconventional grouping? How very ’60s of them!

Step into the chaotic, busy and captivating world of Poh Ling Yeow as she journeys to an exciting new stage of her life. Making and sharing delicious meals is about to become even more important in Poh’s fascinating world of business pursuits, artistic dreams and fun adventures with family and friends. Over the course of the next year Poh is determined to shake up her life. She is busy creating an edible garden as the first step in transforming her suburban house into a home; seeking out inspiration and advice so she can become an even better cook, artist, and book publisher; and continuing to develop her small business as a purveyor of home-baked delicacies.

Join Poh and her larger-than-life network of colourful family and friends including hubby Jono; best friend and business partner Sarah; Sarah’s husband Matt, who just happens to be Poh’s ex-husband; cooking duo extraordinaire of her feisty mother Christina and Aunty Kim; sales extraordinaire father Steve; former MasterChef buddy Andre Ursini; four-legged friends Rhino and Tim and many others on her personal journey of self-discovery.

Poh generously allows others to observe this frenetic “work in progress” via Poh & Co. Although her incredible openness, and the access-all-areas approach of the series, means that perhaps it is more accurate to use the phrase – “life in progress”.

Episode One: The Garden Poh has always dreamed of having an edible garden so when she and husband Jono decide to speed up the process of converting their house into a home they start outdoors. The flaw in the plan is that neither knows about gardening so, leaving Jono and a mate doing the grunt work of clearing the front yard, Poh heads over to see her friend and chef Andre for some advice. Instead of staying an hour she stays four and gets lessons in making focaccia and caponata – and in teaching chickens to act like chickens.

This week Dateline airs a story which was originally scheduled some weeks ago, on living as transgender in Indonesia.

Indonesia has a vibrant transgender culture and tradition, but there’s been a rise in intolerance in recent years from Muslim fundamentalists. Dateline’s David O’Shea gets an insight into the community and its fight for equal rights.

They’re known as ‘waria’ – a term created by mixing the Indonesian words for woman and man.

In this week’s episode, David O’Shea follows transgender human rights campaigner, Mama Yuli as she embarks on a national movement, lobbying for acceptance of warias in Indonesian society.

She reveals the struggle she endured when coming out to her family:

“I cried every day. When I got up I had nothing to eat. I was hungry. No one would give me food. I cried. But who helped me? No one did.”

Many Indonesians, including Mama Yuli’s own family, are starting to accept waria, but, there is still a threat from small but vocal extremist groups who refuse to accept warias as humans.

“We’re disturbed by the way they dress, by their presence, their behaviour. They shouldn’t be allowed to feel normal.” Muhammed Fuad tells Dateline’s David O’Shea.

These hard-line extremists often target waria events – shutting down their meetings and beauty pageants.

Conversely, there are religious warias who believe being transgender is a blessing, bringing them closer to God:

“Waria is something we have to live with and accepting that makes us closer to the creator. The one who makes us waria is Allah”

You know you have made it when you are slimed at the Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards, an honour bestowed on Australia’s 5 Seconds Of Summer’s who closed the LA event yesterday with a performance of “What I Like About You” blowing out the slime-filled speakers and flooding the stage with thousands of gallons of slime.

Jennifer Lopez presented host Nick Jonas with a surprise sliming while stars of Modern Family were also doused in green goo.

Amongst the tween-voted award winners were Angelina Jolie, Liam Hemsworth, Emma Stone and Jennifer Lawrence while Aussie rapper Iggy Azalea was joined by Jennifer Hudson onstage for a performance of their hit “Trouble.”

ABC Europe Correspondent Mary Gearin will be in France to cover the commemorations at Villers-Bretonneux.

ABC

Four Corners: ANZAC to Afghanistan
Monday 13 April, 8.30pm ABCAnzac to Afghanistan combines mostly unseen interviews with Gallipoli veterans with commentary from modern Australian soldiers. In this Four Corners special, Chris Masters, drawing on his 1988 program, ‘The Fatal Shore’, presents a revealing and original take on the Australian military experience one century apart — with some considerable help from the people who form the legend.

Australia’s Great War Horse
Sunday 19 April, 7.40pm ABC
1 x 60’Over 130,000 Australian horses served in the Great War of 1914 – 18. Nearly 30,000 were engaged in the Middle East. Popularly known as ‘Walers’, it was in the desert sands that their legend was born. They carried their men to victory on the long road to Damascus, but at war’s end they did not come home. Australia’s Great War Horse takes us on an epic journey from the outback of Australia, across the vast Indian Ocean, to the pyramids of Egypt, the living hell that was Gallipoli, and the unforgiving desert sands of the Middle East. This epic desert war couldn’t have been undertaken without the horses, or the small army of horse breakers, veterinarians, farriers, saddlers and feed suppliers who were essential to keeping thousands of horses in the field and battle-ready. This is the story of the horses’ colonial origins, their gallant service, and their shameful fate. A Mago Films Production. Producer: Marion Bartsch, Director: Russell Vines, Writer: Barry Strickland. With thanks to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Commissioned as part of the Anzac Centenary national program.

Australian Story: Operation Jaywick
April 8pm, ABCThe story of an audacious covert attack behind enemy lines during WWII, a romance that grew and endured despite the secrets, and a small unassuming fishing boat that became a war hero. Named MV Krait, the trawler is currently on display at the wharves of Sydney’s Darling Harbour. But thanks to the persistence of a 91-year-old special ops veteran, plans arein motion to preserve the Krait in a brand new custom-built wing of the National Maritime Museum. Producer Winsome Denyer.

Jennifer Byrne presents Great War Stories Sunday 19 April, 6pm ABC 1 x 30’ Around 25,000 books and scholarly articles have been written about every aspect of WWI, from well known works such as All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, to Gallipoli and The Great War by Les Carlyon, alongside books of poetry and verse from the 1930s. This special episode will invite a panel of guests including Merrick Watts, Peter Fitzsimons, and Dr Christina Spittel to bring their favourite books to discuss and recommend to the audience.

Compass: The Legacy Man
Sunday 19 April, 6.30pm ABC
1 x 30’Stan Savige fought at Gallipoli, saved 70,000 Assyrian refugees from certain death in Mesopotamia and went on to found Legacy — an organisation still providing aid to children of service men and women. In an extraordinary military career Stan became Lieutenant General Sir George Stanley Savige, one of Australia’s most decorated soldiers. Compass tracks down the man behind the legend.

Why ANZAC with Sam Neill
Tuesday 21 April, 8.30pm ABC
1 x 90’Sam Neill confronts the Anzac century through the lens of his family’s military tradition. He uncovers forgotten truths that reveal the power of the enduring myth of Anzac that still haunt our two countries’ histories. Filmed in a score of international locations and against a background of continuing turmoil, Sam’s sharing of poignant, intimate stories suggests the universality of our need to remember in ways that may offer redemption. Produced by Essential Media and Entertainment. Writer/Producer: Owen Hughes, Director: Kriv Stenders. With thanks to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Commissioned as part of the Anzac Centenary national program.

Lest We Forget What?
Wed 22 April, 9.30pm ABC
1 x 60’On Anzac Day ask yourself this question: lest we forget what? What are we remembering? Mythology? Or history? Will this day which is increasingly used to define our nation’s very essence be the remembrance of a sepiatinted pastiche of vague anecdotes about the ANZAC spirit and derringdo, or the real stories behind the ANZACS and our role in World War One based on fact and evidence? A Pony Films production. Producer: Dylan Blowen, Writer/ Director: Rachel Landers. Hosted by Kate Aubusson. With thanks to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Commissioned as part of the Anzac Centenary national program.

ABC2

Good Game ANZAC Spcial
Tuesday 21 April, 8.30pm ABC2
1 x 30’War has been the setting for many of the most enduring, popular and profitable video games of all time. In this special edition of Good Game, Bajo and Hex will explore what makes war such a compelling theme for video games. They’ll talk to some key developers that work across titles that use war as their theme but deliver very different experiences; meet current and ex-service personnel to find out how war games are used by the professionals for education as well as entertainment; and look at how the modern armed services use games to train, recruit and educate their personnel. They’ll also explore the rich time line of war video games that have seen millions of gamers become virtual participants in war.

Our World War
Tues 21, Wed 22, Thurs 23 April, 10.30pm ABC2
3 x 60’
Capturing the visceral reality of combat, Our World War hurtles straight to the frontline, using immersive camerawork and intimate documentary filming styles to bring WWI to life in a bold and fresh way. With eye-witness immediacy, this is history as seen through the soldiers’ eyes. Drawing on the first-hand testimonies, interviews, letters and audio recordings of the soldiers themselves, the series of three original dramas reveals their often hidden and disturbing front-line experiences throughout the duration of the war. A BBC production.

ABC3

Horrible Horrible Histories: Frightful First World War
Saturday 25 April, 1.45pm & 6pm ABC3
1 x 30’In this First World War special, Bob Hale and Rattus Rattus guide us through the horrible history of 1914 – 18. Featuring the soldiers, pilots, civilians, girl guides, suffragettes and even kings who were all caught up in the fighting. A BBC production.

Behind the News WWI Special
Saturday 25 April, 2.15pm & 6.30pm ABC3
Wednesday 29 April, 10.25am ABC3
1 x 15’ (repeat)Beginning with an overview of the events that led up to the First World War, this episode also reveals some of the firsthand accounts of Australian soldiers that fought in it. It also features a poignant story by Rookie Reporter Lucinda, who travelled to the Western Front in search of the resting place of one Aussie digger who happened to share her last name. And a boy named Anzac has a very special connection to the War that changed the world.

Small Hands in a Big War: Episode 2, The Escape
Saturday 25 April, 2.30pm
1 x 22’A poor Flemish girl is caught stealing. The German occupying forces punish her severely: four months in prison or an impossibly large fine. She flees in secret and passes an electrified security fence at the Belgian border. Co-Production LOOKS Film & TV, GmbH with NTR, BBC / MG Alba, UR, Se-ma-for, CwmniDa.

Studio 3
Saturday 25 April, 5.55pm ABC3
1 x 5’Leading into ABC3’s evening Anzac Day programming, Studio 3 will include a moving interview by regular host Tim Matthews, speaking to his grandfather who is a war veteran.

Harriet’s Army
Saturday 25 April, 6.45pm ABC3
Wednesday 29 April, 11.35am ABC3
1 x 90’Fourteen year old Harriet is a girl who doesn’t quite fit in, and when she’s kicked out of the Girl Guides for fighting, her father doesn’t know what to do with her. As war breaks out and the Scouts and Guides are volunteered to support the war effort at home, Harriet decides to form her own army of misfits, mounting their own patrols to track down German spies. A thrilling WWI family drama, following the adventures of a group of brave and determined children as they hold the front line at home, revealing the astonishing real roles played by children as their fathers and brothers went to fight in the trenches. A BBC production.

Yes, The Last Ship has it all, and would we really expect anything less from a Michael Bay (Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, Transformers) production? But it has to be said: you also get money on the screen.

This 2014 series from TNT is unashamed, testosterone fun where boys are playing with some very big toys. As long as you don’t dive too deep below the surface, there is popcorn action aplenty.

Based on a novel of the same name by William Brinkley, the series centres on the USS Nathan James under the command of CDR Tom Chandler (Eric Dane). It is at sea in the Arctic for 4 months under radio silence when 80% of the world’s population is wiped out by a deadly virus, penetrating all the way up to the White House. On board is virologist Dr. Rachel Scott (Rhona Mitra) who has been secretly searching for a cure in the icecaps.

But they come under attack from the Russians in an action-fuelled opening sequence that is the stuff of Hollywood blockbusters. There are explosions, helicopters, snowmobiles, missiles and machine guns. Frankly, I can’t see how the budget is going to maintain this as episodic television but I’m enjoying the ride.

Dr. Scott has not been forthcoming with the purpose of her mission, but now that danger is at his doorstep and humanity is apparently evaporating, the Commander wants answers. Or possibly to get a room with her. While the 218 crew are desperate to get back home, it soon becomes apparent that home, as they know it, no longer exists (hence the title). If they can survive at sea long enough for Dr. Scott to come up with a cure there is hope.

And that about sums up this very simple, and rather familiar, premise. There are barely even any sub-plots. The original novel had none of the virus plot and played more to the drama of a crew at sea during post-apocalyptic annihilation (with apologies to On the Beach perhaps?).

Eric Dane certainly looks the part as the dashing, alpha-male Commander here, supported by Adam Baldwin as executive officer CDR Mike Slattery. No other crew really get to do much in the opening episode aside from echoing orders, siting behind radar screens and sneaking a smooch when nobody is looking.

Rhona Mitra (Nip / Tuck, The Practice, Boston Legal) is suitably scrappy -I’m avoiding the word ‘feisty’- as the attractive scientist determined to save the world. She reminds me of Lost‘s Evangeline Lilly, and I note Jack Bender is one of the producers here.

Unless you count the disappointing virus series Helix there isn’t much on TV going where The Last Ship tries to sail. Nor does it demand much from the viewer. It ain’t no Red October nor Crimson Tide, but renewed for a second season it has already eclipsed the short-lived Last Resort. As multichannel, non-ratings fare, this actually kinda works.

Last week Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull introduced legislation to Parliament to increase advertising from 5 to 10 minutes per hour, giving it more flexibility for the lucrative prime time market without increasing its 120 minutes of advertising per day.

It is a move that has been protested by Free to Air commercial broadcasters, emotively claiming they are “subsidising” the change, but welcomed by SBS as it seeks to address funding cuts.

Turnbull, who is clearly preferring competition to face the impact rather than the Federal Budget, knocked back the FreeTV argument.

“SBS in advertising terms is a minnow in that market,” he told Parliament.

SBS claims the proposed amendment would allow it to deliver on the savings measure of $28.5 million over the next four years, as part of the $53.7 million in Federal Government funding cuts. It estimates the amendment would allow it to earn an additional $4.1 million in 2015-16, building up to $8.7 million in the fourth year but that without the passing of the legislation, the broadcaster would be unable to fully deliver this savings measure.

FreeTV has rejected their costings, against the backdrop of a flat advertising market and fragmenting audiences.

There are also fears the changes could mean product placement for lifestyle and entertainment formats.

Lobby group Save our SBS has commandeered former ABC presenter Quentin Dempster and ex ABC / SBS presenter (now Foxtel presenter) Margaret Pomeranz as ambassadors for its joint petition with GetUp! against the legislation. It now has over 60,000 signatures.

“If passed, SBS will look no different from commercial TV. It will broadcast 14 minutes* of disruptive commercial breaks per hour, mostly in primetime and sport,” he said.

“Despite some 50,000 people signing a petition against the bill, the government is still putting this forward. There will not be a debate when the Minster introduces this.”

Quentin Dempster said, “More adverting and now product placement is not what SBS should be about. On-set product placement will remove the independence of probing journalism and restrict what presenters may say.

“SBS is a remarkable legacy of the late Malcolm Fraser, established not to strive to look like commercial TV, but as a specialist broadcaster and the Australian commercial networks hardly need another competitor for precious advertising dollars, particularly at a time when global players have video streaming access to Australian households from which they derive user pays fees. Few contribute to local content creation and most use tax havens.”

Steve Aujard also questions SBS’s delivery on its Charter.

“In two comprehensive studies, one of 2,044 viewers in 2013 and another of 1,733 viewers in 2008 – after reading SBS’s Charter – three-quarters of SBS viewers nationally (71.6% in 2008 and 72.1% in 2013) said that since SBS TV introduced in-program advertising it is less faithful to the Charter now than it used to be. This strongly suggests that any increase in advertising in any part of the schedule will worsen SBS’s ability to adhere to its Charter obligations,” he said.

But SBS Managing Director Michael Ebeid says revenue supports its ability to deliver on its Charter.

“The Charter is at the heart of SBS and any revenue raised through advertising and sponsorship goes directly to enabling the organisation to protect its investment in Australian content and deliver on its Charter obligations, recognising that SBS competes in a highly competitive media market on a fifth of the average budget of the other Australian broadcasters.

“To that end, should this legislation pass Parliament, SBS would only implement additional advertising in programs and timeslots where the advertising return could genuinely aid our ability to invest in Australian content. It is incorrect to assume that SBS wants to or is able to move to 10 minutes of advertising in every hour of prime time, should this legislation pass, as that would be impractical given the demands of the schedule and our advertisers. We understand the need to be sensitive to our audience in implementing any change.”

Malcolm Turnbull has also warned unless legislation is passed by the end of June, SBS will need to axe programs or services to address funding cuts.

Nine Network has picked up another New Zealand drama, Brokenwood Mysteries.

The 4 x 120’ drama stars Neill Rea as a city cop who escapes his fast-paced urban life to solve crimes in the rural backwater of Brokenwood. But, as he watches over the quiet, community-spirited country town alongside local partner DC Kristin Simms (Fern Sutherland), Shepherd soon finds that beneath its peaceful veneer, buried secrets, treacherous lies and murder are curiously at home in Brokenwood.

Brokenwood Mysteries comes from the producers of The Almighty Johnsons and Outrageous Fortune. It has also been sold to France, Russia, Denmark and Ukraine.

Peter Grant all3media International, who negotiated the Australian deal said, “all3media International has succeeded in establishing an impressive portfolio of detective drama – a genre which continues to be very popular in the international market. With South Pacific’s new addition to the roster – and with a second series of Brokenwood already confirmed – we are confident Brokenwood Mysteries will become a firm favourite with global audiences.”

In 2013 51% of the first release Australian drama on the Nine Network was from New Zealand, compared with 7% for Seven Network and 4% for Network TEN. Nine played almost all its NZ dramas on its multichannels GO! and GEM which can now count first-run drama towards its overall content quotas for the first time.

Under the Australia-NZ Economic Trade Agreement, NZ content be claimed as “local content” despite the move being criticised by unions some years ago.

What distinguishes season 4 from previous years?
We haven’t started writing it yet, so it’s early. The first series was all about the beginning of their friendship. Second about the formative stages, the love and fear and loss and all that. The third was good days, me and my pal and my pal’s wife. Those are golden days. The missing element in a lot of Sherlock Holmes adaptations is allowing it to be funny. There’s a lot of humor in Sherlock Holmes, and it’s ignored in a lot of adaptations. [Season 4] is going to be… I suppose you’d say… consequences. It’s consequences. Chickens come to roost. It’s dark in some ways—obviously it’s great fun and a Sherlock Holmes romp and all that—but there’s a sense of… things… coming back to bite you. It’s not a safe, sensible way to live. It’s hilarious and exhilarating some days, but some days it’s going to be bloody frightening.

Is it more serialized than previous seasons?
Probably. A lot of serialization is latent, isn’t it? It’s hidden. Series 3 doesn’t look very serialized, but you look back at how much we’re setting up Mary [Amanda Abbington] to be who she turns out to be. It will be three stand-alone films, 90 minutes each, and an ongoing mystery, as there sort of always is.

How will fans feel after watching it?
Hmmm… desperate for series 5. We’re certainly going to put them through the mill. It’s going to be more of an emotional upheaval. Hopefully enjoyable and fun, all the things Sherlock must always be. It will be tough at times. Maybe that’s the word? A tougher series.

SBS recently released the fifth pilot as part of its Comedy Runway initiative, developing Australia’s next generation of comedy talent.

12 finalists have each received $20,000 to create a five minute web pilot, with at least one pilot planned to be produced as a five episode web series.

The fifth pilot Top Knot Detective is described as a Japanese detective series from the 1990s, created by a failed celebrity. It is the work of Perth-based Writer / Director team Aaron McCann and Dominic Pearce, and Producer Lauren Brunswick.

It tells the story of Sheimasu Tantei, ‘an Edo era police officer turned ronin/private detective on a never-ending road to vengeance after being framed for the murder of his Master. Along the way he would fight ninjas, samurai, yakuza and aliens, monsters, more ninjas, demons, robots, time traveling baseball players and the occasional go-go dancer.’

Director Aaron McCann said: “We’re excited and thrilled to finally get Top Knot Detective out of our heads, on to paper, into a budget spreadsheet, through the camera lenses, back into a non-linear editing system, transferred to VHS, then redubbed again onto VHS to destroy the quality, captured back into the computer and then streamed via the magical wonders of the internet right into your homes and onto your mobile devices.

“We really couldn’t have done it without the creative freedom that SBS entrusted upon us and the trust they had in us to create something as wild and as crazy as this.”

It premiered in the US in September, and has been renewed for a second season.

Forget the walking dead, these zombies can run. After surviving a zombie apocalypse, a group of the best and brightest fighters must transport the only known survivor of a zombie attack from New York to California. There the last functioning viral lab is waiting to develop a vaccine to save what’s left of humanity. Fill the zombie shaped hole in your viewing left by the end of TWD S5.

It wouldn’t be ’80s night on American Idol without David Hasselhoff performing a medley.

]]>http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2015/03/the-hoff-sings-at-american-idol.html/feed0The Sound of Music Livehttp://www.tvtonight.com.au/2015/03/the-sound-of-music-live.html
http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2015/03/the-sound-of-music-live.html#commentsSat, 28 Mar 2015 12:00:55 +0000http://www.tvtonight.com.au/?p=225718This Live to Air performance of a classic musical with Carrie Underwood and Stephen Moyer finally screens in Australia. 6:30pm Sunday on Foxtel Arts.

Highest viewing times for child audiences is between 5 – 9pm, with 7pm the peak time. A morning TV audience also watches between 7 -10am.

Top programs watched by children aged 0–14 on FTA television, 2013:
The Block Sky High—Grand Final
The X Factor Grand Final
The Voice—Wednesday
My Kitchen Rules—Winner Announced
Toy Story 3
Toy Story of Terror
Despicable Me
Hop
The Block: All Stars—Grand Final
Hamish & Andy’s Gap Year Asia
Domestic Blitz—The Block to the Rescue
The Lion King
Big Brother—Winner Announced
The Smurfs
Room on the Broom

Other key findings from the research, comprising community surveys and ratings analysis, include:

Preschool children, under five, spend more time watching free-to-air television than older children.

Programs made for children are most commonly watched by children four and under.

Nine in 10 children under 15 watch children’s programming on television.

Most children aged 5-12 watch programs on commercial television, comprising a mix of reality, light entertainment, movies and children’s programs.

Of the overall top-rating programs watched by children under five on free-to-air television, excluding sport, most were watched on dedicated ABC children’s channels.

Screen Producers Australia said in a statement: “It is critical that supporting structures – such as content regulation mandating the broadcast of children’s programs on commercial free-to-air channels and funding for children’s programming on the ABC – remain in place so that Australian broadcasters continue to meet the expectations of Australian children and parents that there will be quality, age appropriate content on our television channels.”

Looks like there could be a Brady Bunch feud brewing if a social media post by Susan Olsen aka Cindy Brady is any indication.

She has made pointed comments about Maureen McCormick failing to sign off on a deal for a song to be used on a commercial which would have netted her former cast mates money.

In the original series the ‘Brady Kids’ recorded a number of songs that were positively groovy, including Time To Change.

Olsen has questioned why McCormick would undergo all the challenges on I’m a Celebrity Get Me out of Here! but won’t sign off on the deal that her 5 on-screen siblings have all agreed to.

It’s not clear what the product is, but hopefully McCormick, who was loveable kooky on the TEN show, was still in recovery mode and didn’t get the memo. I reckon she’d sink herself in elephant dung for her Brady siblings.

UPDATE: Susan Olsen has updated via Twitter: “I’m very relieved to say that they gave us another chance and Maureen signed off. I am so relieved!”

The Canadian – Irish series, written by Michael Hirst has been renewed by the History channel for an unspecified number of new episodes.

“Vikings has raided the hearts of both audiences and critics, establishing itself as one of the most compelling, visually stunning dramas on television,” said Dirk Hoogstra, executive vice president and general manager of History and H2, in a statement.

Starring Aussie Travis Fimmel, season 3 is currently airing on SBS ONE.

]]>http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2015/03/renewed-vikings-2.html/feed2Day in the life of a Denyerhttp://www.tvtonight.com.au/2015/03/day-in-the-life-of-a-denyer.html
http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2015/03/day-in-the-life-of-a-denyer.html#commentsFri, 27 Mar 2015 17:49:52 +0000http://www.tvtonight.com.au/?p=225691

Many readers often wonder what comprises a typical day for TV talent, and it’s a question I’ve put to personalities in the past.

This week Grant Denyer detailed his day to News Corp a recording day for Family Feud, rising at 8am, arriving at the studio by 12:30pm and wrapping at 10pm.

“We crank out five episodes between then and 10 o’clock at night. We’ll probably record a half-hour TV episode in about 40 minutes. We pretty much do it as live,” he said.

“We’ll stop after each episode and we’ll take about 10-15 minutes to turn around our contestants. Like me, the champion family needs to get changed as well into different outfits for the next episode and I’ll quickly get re-briefed on the next family that’s coming up.

“Then we’ll repeat the process.”

I’m not too sure how this compares to the ‘gruelling schedule’ he referenced when quitting Million Dollar Minute, but I suspect it’s fairly similar. Both also involve travel from NSW to Melbourne.

No question that filming five high-energy episodes back to back is draining on the best of comperes, but hospital staff and farmers would probably put up solid arguments about working hard yakka without the same remuneration as TV stars.

Denyer has also indicated he is keen to add extra projects to his schedule, so work-life balance must be in better sync now.

Next Monday on Four Corners, reporter Stephen Long looks at how fast cash loans become a ruinous debt trap.

Short of cash? Can’t get a credit card? Can’t get a bank loan? If you believe the ads from a new breed of short-term lenders you simply head for your local pawnshop, or even the internet, borrow the cash and move on.

That at least is the boast, but a growing number of people are finding, to their cost, they really don’t know what they are signing up – or the massive rates of interest being charged.

This week Four Corners reporter Stephen Long exposes the highly questionable business practices of so called ‘payday’ lenders.

Payday lending is now a major business with some companies listed on the stock exchange. The industry defends itself, claiming it provides a service the banks aren’t interested in delivering.

“There are 10 million Australians that don’t have access to a credit card. Where are they going to get credit?” – Payday Lending Company CEO

But as Long tests this claim he uncovers a trail of misery, meeting people like Anna. A hard working mother of three, she took a short-term loan from a payday lender to buy her daughter’s school computer. Borrowing the money was easy, too easy, and before long she borrowed more money, sinking ever deeper into debt.

Anna had discovered what thousands of other short-term borrowers already knew; the system encourages dependency and the windfall profits come not from any one loan but by sucking people into multiple loans, sometimes with effective interest rates of more than 300 percent.

“The whole business model relies on trapping people in debt. You get the first loan and you get the second loan and you get the third loan to pay off the second loan.” – Financial Advisor.

The questionable practices don’t end there. Reporter Stephen Long spoke to industry insiders who confirmed that lenders provided credit to heroin addicts, doling out loans at one end of the shop after the addicted person had pawned goods at the front desk.

In another case, a man suffering a brain injury was signed up to multiple loans even though he didn’t understand the documents he was signing.

In 2013 the Federal Government tried to reign in the worst excesses of the industry with new legislation. After an intensive industry lobbying campaign the laws were watered down but still capped interest and establishment fees.

Despite this, a recent survey by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission reveals that two thirds of payday lenders were highly likely to breach credit laws relating to responsible lending. Some gave loans to people already in default while more than half issued loans to customers who already had multiple loans.

All the evidence suggests the industry is now expanding massively online. Will the authorities and Government act to control the industry mavericks?

With the results of the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal set to be handed down on Tuesday both Seven and Nine are adding AFL specials by Talking Footy and Footy Classified.

Here are the Melbourne times on Tuesday, please check local guides.

6:30pm Seven. Talking Footy Seven News AFL anti-doping tribunal specialWith the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal handing down its decision on 34 past and present Essendon players next Tuesday, a special edition of Talking Footy will tell the fans what it means for the players, Essendon FC, the AFL and the game itself.

All of the fallout from the biggest story in the AFL in the last three years will be analysed.

Luke Darcy hosts this special edition of Talking Footy with Essendon legend Tim Watson along with special guests.

8pm Nine. Footy Classified:The biggest story in AFL history reaches its highly anticipated conclusion on Tuesday as the Essendon Football Club finally learns its fate.

On the special night and time of Tuesday at 8.00pm on Channel Nine, the award-winning Footy Classified returns for 2015 with “The Verdict”.

From the beginning of this saga Footy Classified has covered this story like no other – and now football’s number one news breakers and opinion makers Garry Lyon, Caroline Wilson, Matthew Lloyd and Craig Hutchison will make this a season return not to be missed.

Tomorrow night Sunday Night looks at an international kidnapping case and a medical transformation.

I Am Sam It’s the intriguing case of Sam, a girl from Townsville with a seemingly ordinary life. For most of her 21 years, Sam had no idea of her extraordinary past – that she was at the centre of one of America’s longest running international kidnapping cases. For Samantha was born Savanna, and as a baby, she was kidnapped by her mother following a bitter custody battle with her father. Sam grew up in South Africa and Australia believing another man was her Dad. But the truth finally came out when her mother was arrested by the FBI and extradited back to America. Sunday Night’s Rahni Sadler is in Charleston, South Carolina, with Sam for her mother’s trial and to find out whether she’ll finally meet her real father.

Strokes For Australian stroke victims John Peard and Kylie Newlove, it was the news they’d been waiting years to hear – a new treatment that may help with their debilitating condition. The footy legend and mother of five put their faith in an experimental drug that’s being used in America. With no clinical trials to back up its use with people who’ve suffered a stroke, they were treated with Etanercept. The results are extraordinary and within minutes, both claimed they underwent a dramatic transformation. Sunday Night host Chris Bath was there to witness the moment John and Kylie say their lives were changed forever.

Described as “a suspenseful, edgy and realistic look at the street-level hero, Matt Murdock, and his transformation into Daredevil” it will premiere with thirteen one-hour episodes.

Blinded as a young boy but imbued with extraordinary senses, Murdock (Charlie Cox) fights against injustice by day as a lawyer, and by night as the Super Hero “Daredevil” in modern day Hell’s Kitchen, New York City.

Marvel’s first original series on Netflix is Executive Produced by series Showrunner Steven S. DeKnight (“Spartacus”, “Buffy: The Vampire Slayer”, “Angel”) and Drew Goddard ( “Cabin in the Woods,” “Lost,” “Buffy The Vampire Slayer”, in addition to writing the first two episodes of Daredevil), along with Jeph Loeb (“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “Smallville,” “Heroes”), who also serves as Marvel’s Head of Television.

The series is the first of four live-action comic-book adventure series (Marvel’s A.K.A. Jessica Jones, Marvel’s Iron Fist, and Marvel’s Luke Cage, all leading up to the teaming of the main characters in Marvel’s The Defenders)

SwanLake premieres at 6:30pm tonight, The Sound of Music Live premieres tomorrow night and Screen with Margaret Pomeranz and Graeme Blundell premieres on Wednesday. Also coming are Peter Pan Live, Bach’s St. John Passion, Les Miserables Live from the O2 Arena, Graeme Murphy’s Swan Lake and Le Corsaire, Andre Rieu, Helpmann Awardsand the Tony Awards Live in June.

Weeknight programming includes documentary series and specials from 7:30pm and follows with performance specials from 9:30pm Monday to Thursday.

Every Monday evening viewers can ‘find their story’, with documentaries focused on literary and the theatrical. The line-up includes Theatreland – an eight-part documentary which takes its audience behind the scenes of the life in London’s legendary Theatre Royal Haymarket and Shakespeare Uncovered which explains the role of the bard and his characters in shaping the craft and careers of some of the stage’s brightest stars. Monday brings the world’s finest operatic productions to Arts starting with Il Trovatore with Placido Domingo.

On Tuesday evenings, Arts will cover all the visual mediums including the series Portrait Artist of the Year and The Waldemar Januszczak Collection Impressionists.

Wednesday evening’s documentaries explore the worlds of music and dance and are followed by an extensive repertoire of ballets including Graeme Murphy’s Swan Lake and Le Corsaire.

On Thursdays, the focus will turn to the moving image with the premiere of Screen, hosted by Margaret and Graeme, then documentaries from all screen arts followed by great works of instrumental music – all performed by masterful soloists, prestigious orchestras and every type of ensemble in between including, at launch, several performances played under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle.

Friday evening is home to popular favourites such as Andrea Bocelli and Andre Rieu. To launch the channel, Arts will broadcast Love In Venice, filmed in Andre’s home town in the Netherlands, and, for the first time the performance will be televised in full.

Saturday night features some of recording history’s biggest rock and pop acts and, early every Sunday evening, the Arts audience can sit back and enjoy a very special family performance in the ‘Sunday Spotlight’ including The Sound of Music Live, Bach’s St. John Passion and Les Miserables Live from the O2 Arena.

Like other +2 channels, it broadcasts two hours after the Foxtel Movies Disney channel (Ch 404).

The channel has quickly become a favourite of Foxtel subscribers and features a range of classic titles and contemporary movies including recent releases, timeless live-action and animated library films, as well as Disney-Pixar huge box office hits.

The fun and enchantment of Foxtel Movies Disney (channel 404) provides ad-break free movies available in High Definition and only on Foxtel. Foxtel Movies Disney content is also available through Anytime on an internet-connected Foxtel iQ and Foxtel Play subscribers, and through Foxtel Go.

Million Dollar Minute champion Andrew Skarbek has made television history by winning the biggest cash prize ever given away on Australian television: $1,016,000.

Skarbek, 47 from Melbourne, won the $1,000,000 prize today after correctly answering 5 questions in the final stage of the Seven quiz. He had previously turned down $750,000 and $500,000 to take a shot at the top prize, but there were four failed attempts at the top prize before the glory.

He correctly answered the following 5 questions:

Robert Menzies first became prime minister as leader of which party? UAP Which of these singers is the eldest? David Bowie The Burke and Wills expedition left Melbourne in which year? 1860 Which of these teams was first to race in a Formula 1 Grand Prix? Tyrrell Which cartoon character’s mother-in-law is Pearl Slaghoople? Fred Flintstone

Across 23 episodes, Skarbek defeated 46 contestants and answered 589 questions. He also rejected over $150,000 in cash temptations, opting to take extra points instead.

He is now the fifth ‘TV millionaire’ on Australian television. With $16,000 already in ‘safe money’ his additional $1,000,000 means he trumps previously million-dollar winners on Who Wants to Be A Millionaire?, Big Brother and The Big Adventure.

The win is an even sweeter victory after he was left with $50,000 medical bills following his recent treatment for cancer.

“Million Dollar Minute has saved us. I am in shock…I can’t believe this is happening right now,” he said.

He also plans to quit his job, buy a home and fly his 78 year old mother back to Poland for a family reunion.

“It will be business class all the way for the whole family,” he said.

Host Simon Reeve added, “His strength – apart from his prodigious general knowledge – was his ability to cope with the pressure. It takes enormous courage and Andrew has earned every cent of his million dollar win.”

With its first million dollar champ, the Seven devised format has now lived up to its title. More importantly for Seven, the show has enjoyed several wins over Nine’s Hot Seat and helped elevate Seven News to multiple wins over Nine News.

A bit disappointed to hear that HBO has cancelled Looking, after only two seasons.

But the San Fransisco-based drama will wrap with a “special”.

In a statement HBO said, “After two years of following Patrick and his tight-knit group of friends as they explored San Francisco in search of love and lasting relationships, HBO will present the final chapter of their journey as a special. We look forward to sharing this adventure with the shows loyal fans.”

The Season 2 finale pulled in a dismal 298,000 US viewers, down on Season One’s 425,000 finale.

Russell Tovey tweeted, “Yo @LookingHBO fans – rumors are true, we don’t have a new season to report, but hey, we got a movie special to shoot instead! Cool huh?? X.”

Spooks may have ended its small screen run, but we’re in for a feature film Spooks: The Greater Good -and by the looks of things it should be a ripper.

Peter Firth returns as Harry Pearce with Kit Harington (Game of Thrones) as a new character, MI5 spy Will Holloway.

The storyline sees Pearce being forced to resign after high-profile terrorist Adem Qasim (Elyes Gabel) escapes from MI5 custody. When Pearce disappears off a bridge into the Thames, Harington’s former agent Holloway is drafted in from Moscow to foil a bomb threat from Qasim and uncover the truth surrounding his former mentor.

Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent wrote the script, with Bharat Nalluri directing the film.

Nine News State Election coverage will begin at 5pm tomorrow hosted by Karl Stefanovic with Political Editor Laurie Oakes and Business and Finance Editor Ross Greenwood.

Mind those clangers, Karl…!

The panel will be joined in studio by prominent politicians to give their expert commentary on the unfolding political changes, including: former Abbott Government Minister and former Senior Advisor to John Howard, Liberal Party Member Arthur Sinodinos; Government Minister Duncan Gay from the National Party; Anthony Albanese from the federal Labor Party and Linda Burney, Deputy NSW Opposition Leader.

Viewers will be invited to contribute to the broadcast on social media by sending their messages and questions to the Nine News accounts. These will be featured on the 9Technology Touch Screen, presented by Jayne Azzopardi.

Throughout Nine’s special election coverage, Leila McKinnon will be reporting from Opposition Leader Luke Foley’s camp, while State Political Reporter Lizzie Pearl covers Premier Mike Baird’s corner and other Nine News journalists report from key locations.

Channel Nine’s entire election coverage will also be streamed live on 9news.com.au

“The talent is reflected in the very healthy state of our diverse industry, which offers more creative opportunities than the free-to-air networks. Subscription television currently invests more than $600 million a year in Australian content, provides 7000 jobs and adds nearly $2 billion to the economy.

“Industry data shows that in 2013-14 subscription television produced a record 7367 hours of first-run promos, interstitial segments and hostings. This intensive activity shows how marketing and promotion go hand-in-hand with program production to build success, and that’s why the Industry Excellence Awards are so important.”

The categories cover:

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS (new)
– Creative Professional of the Year (in a marketing or communications function)
– Television Professional of the Year (in a role other than creative, marketing or communications)
– Rising Star (outstanding individual aged under 30)

One of the things that makes this notable is that it features actress Maisie Williams, better known as Game of Thrones‘ very own Arya Stark.

A fictionalised composite of real-life cases, this also takes place entirely in the bedroom of its central character and plays out in real time.

Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones) is 17-year-old Casey, a teenager who learns the hard way about the consequences of cyber bullying.

As usual Casey gets home from school and logs on to Facebook, iTunes and Skype. But while skyping her best friend Megan, her ex-boyfriend Nathan bags her on Twitter. Megan suggests she use their hacker friend Alex, but he’s scared he’ll be caught.

When Megan leaves to meet her boyfriend, Casey is alone, and Alex contacts her again and agrees to hack Nathan. But she soon realises it isn’t Alex. It appears her webcam has been hacked and the hacker can see her!

The cyber stalker, who now has access to her personal files, including explicit sexting images taken for her boyfriend, warns that if she tries to switch off the computer, or get help, he will post the images to everyone to see!

But as she continues talking to the unseen perpetrator, her initial fears of sexual exploitation give way to something more bizarre: the stalker forces her to look back over her own cyber history. Together they trawl her digital footprint: every bitchy comment, every two-faced remark, revealing Casey as something of a cyber bully herself.

Eventually she realises she hasn’t been chosen at random; it’s because she once played a small but influential part in a long running cyber-bullying campaign against a girl which spiralled out of control and drove her to take her own life.

The cyber stalker is after vengeance. Can Casey outwit her tormentor and reveal their identity?

After his Karl clanger yesterday in which Mr. Stefanovic attracted headlines for an apparently-racist remark about India, the Today show host has now apologised.

Whilst interviewing Indian cricket fans, Stefanovic decided to ask how many 7-11 stores would be manned yesterday. Some mild outrage ensued even though the fans seemed to take it in good jest.

But he also managed to apologise and offend New Zealanders too.

Here’s his mea culpa:

For those watching yesterday I made two remarks that got plenty of you hot under the collar.

So a mea culpa this morning from me.

The comments were only ever intended to be taken in the most light-hearted possible way but as most of you know… I have a wayward, misguided sense of humour.

In fact as plenty of you say and have pointed out – I have no sense at all.

Firstly to those members of the Indian community, our guest yesterday Kartik gave as good as he got and that banter continued in the true spirit of the World Cup after the show. We had a great conversation. He owned me on air and he owned me off air.

It was thought to be fun, it was fun, I enjoyed, he enjoyed it, but some of you didn’t. For anyone interpreting the comments in a different way my sincere apologies.

I love India and I love the contribution Indians make across many different vocations in this great country. Our country is richer for having you and so are our sauces.

For my Kiwi brothers and sisters. Calling you dole-bludgers was an awful, cheap stereotype and just not true.

As we all know, you can’t get the dole in Australia.

Again though, my sincere heartfelt apology to anyone across the ditch or in Bondi who took offence.

Just because you’ve got a cool, happening and effective government and a really, really attractive lot of livestock doesn’t mean I should take the sheep out of you.

I love all of you in New Zealand. I love your wine. I lived there for two years. I count two Kiwi blokes amongst my best friends, in fact, my only friends.

So what I want to say to all of you this morning in Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud is this: whack on a pair of jandals and get across the ditch. It’s my shout Sunday no matter what happens. All of you, four million of you, let’s go.

Today is the last day on the Foxtel platform for the SBS-managed STUDIO Channel.

After 5 years it makes way for the new Foxtel-managed Foxtel Arts channel, launching tomorrow. STUDIO replaced another Arts predecessor, Ovation on April 1 2010.

However Arts content will still be viewable at SBS On Demand and through SBS ONE programming.

General Manager, Chris Keely has thanked channel supporters in a farewell statement:

“Over the last five years, STUDIO has been committed to presenting you with cutting-edge arts and entertainment from around the globe, while fostering and supporting the Australian arts community.

“Since 2010, STUDIO has nurtured and mentored budding Australian artists and producers through the Create STUDIO and STUDIO Kickstart initiatives; developed ground-breaking local productions; forged successful partnerships with Australia’s most prominent and respected festivals and arts organisations to increase accessibility to the arts; and introduced Australian audiences to a new level of creativity through compelling and thought-provoking television.

“Today, STUDIO will take its final bow and will no longer be available on the Foxtel platform. STUDIO is pleased to announce that following this time, STUDIO programming will be made available on SBS ONE and SBS On Demand in special STUDIO blocks, further cementing SBS’s commitment to the arts by providing arts content to all Australians.

“We thank you for your support over the last five years, and look forward to bringing you the best arts and entertainment programming in our new timeslots on SBS One.”

Downton Abbey will end with a final sixth season, as confirmed by producers Carnival Films and ITV today.

It follows ongoing speculation about when the hit British series would conclude.

Carnival’s Managing Director and Executive Producer Gareth Neame said, “Millions of people around the world have followed the journey of the Crawley family and those who serve them for the last five years. Inevitably there comes a time when all shows should end and Downton is no exception. We wanted to close the doors of Downton Abbey when it felt right and natural for the storylines to come together and when the show was still being enjoyed so much by its fans. We can promise a final season full of all the usual drama and intrigue, but with the added excitement of discovering how and where they all end up…”

Julian Fellowes, writer, creator and Executive Producer said, “The Downton journey has been amazing for everyone aboard. People ask if we knew what was going to happen when we started to make the first series and the answer is that, of course we had no idea. Exactly why the series had such an impact and reached so many people around the world, all nationalities, all ages, all types, I cannot begin to explain. But I do know how grateful we are to have been allowed this unique experience. I suspect the show will always be a principal marker in most of our careers as we set out from here, and if so, I consider that a blessing and a compliment.”

Downton Abbey is the highest rating UK drama of the past decade across any channel, with an average of 11 million UK viewers over the course of the five series, including Christmas specials.

ITV’s Director of Television, Peter Fincham said, “When Julian Fellowes and Gareth Neame brought us the idea for Downton Abbey six years ago we thought it would be a great Sunday night series for ITV, but we had no way of knowing that it would become a global phenomenon playing to hundreds of millions of viewers around the world. What a ride it’s been – for everyone involved in the production, for the cast, and most of the all for the audience. We all thought very carefully about the right moment to bring something so special to a close that felt editorially right, and left viewers wanting more. Christmas Day on ITV this year will certainly be one to remember, as the concluding special brings a series to an end that started as a leap of faith for all of us, and ended surpassing all expectations.”

It screens in over 250 territories worldwide and has accrued multiple Golden Globe, Emmy, PGA, BAFTA, National Television Awards and Screen Actors Guild awards.

In Australia it has also been a big hit for Seven, currently mid-season on Season 5.

Australia’s success in the ICC Cricket World Cup has given Nine the biggest share of any network all year.

Nine network won Thursday with whopping 43.2% share then Seven 24.9%, TEN 14.3%, ABC 12.6% and SBS 5.1%. Nine now sits at just 0.3% behind Seven for the week, its most competitive performance so far this year.

1.61m / 790,000 was also the biggest single audience Nine has enjoyed all year. The figures were higher still adding in regional viewers. Following the cricket for Nine were Nine News (1.19m in 4 cities / 1.06m in 3 cities) and The Footy Show (910,000). Hot Seat was only shown in 2 cities at 267,000.

Seven News (1.08m / 944,000) was best for Seven then Home and Away (674,000), Million Dollar Minute (602,000) and Movie: Pretty Woman (486,000). The Amazing Race was 109,000.

The Project (523,000 / 403,000) led a tough night for TEN. TEN Eyewitness News was 428,000, Modern Family was 406,000 / 403,000, Gogglebox was 381,000 and SVU was 227,000.

ABC also had a tough time of it with ABC News (698,000) its strongest performer. Next were 7:30 (542,000), Outback ER (507,000), the final Hiding (320,000), Antiques Roadshow (288,000) and How We Got to Now (229,000).

The final Gourmet Farmer Afloat was 251,000 for SBS then World’s Greatest Food Markets (209,000), Vikings (168,000) and SBS World News (110,000).

Jackie Woodburne told TV Tonight the party was the culmination of a very long anniversary.

“It has been going on for a while. ‘Fletch’ and I have been doing promotions since last August! A very long time,” she said.

“But I think this is the jewel in the crown tonight because if you look around, all these ex-cast members, who we haven’t seen in months or years are here. To see these kids grown up, it’s just wonderful.

“What’s universal about Neighbours, and what came across in the Special, is this deep affection people have for the show. It’s sort of like your favourite nanna or something. People have this genuine love for the show, even when they’ve left it.”

But as ex-cast including Carla Bonner, Kym Valentine, Ben Nicholas, Terence Donovan, Ian Smith, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Madeleine West, Nell Feeney, Kevin Harrington joined in the celebrations, there was still one name she was hoping would make a surprise appearance.

“I have a little fantasy that Jesse Spencer will walk in. I haven’t given up hope, but I don’t think it’s likely!

“I’d tell him he still owes me $10 bucks for lunch money,” she laughed.

“I’m so proud of him. He’s having a great career and deservedly so.”

It was a great party thrown by TEN, with speeches by TEN CEO Hamish McLennan, Jackie Woodburne, Alan Fletcher, Stefan Dennis and FremantleMedia’s Ian Hogg.

Top Gear producer Oisin Tymon has expressed his gratitude for the investigation headed by BBC Scotland chief Ken MacQuarrie.

Digital Spy reports he said, “I respect Lord Hall’s detailed findings and I am grateful to the BBC for their thorough and swift investigation into this very regrettable incident, against a background of intense media interest and speculation.

“I’ve worked on Top Gear for almost a decade, a programme I love.

“Over that time, Jeremy and I had a positive and successful working relationship, making some landmark projects together.

“He is a unique talent and I am well aware that many will be sorry his involvement in the show should end in this way.”

According to the Telegraph, James May continues to signal his intent to not renew with the BBC.

“I’m only a freelance TV presenter and, in many ways, it’s all just been a massive fluke,” he said.

“I always said that on the day it ends for me I’ll have to be magnanimous and look back and say, ‘Well, that was a stroke of luck, now back to normal life’, and that seems to have happened.

“So here I go, I’m about to eat some beans and go back to my normal life.”

Meanwhile radio presenter Chris Evans has denied he is joining the show, the Express reports.

“This is not true,” he told listeners today. “Not only is it not true, it’s absolute nonsense.

“From what I’ve seen on Twitter and various social media, there’s a 50/50 split approximately as to whether me being involved in the show is a good idea.”

“So regardless of whether it would be a hit, I’m voting a no for myself on that show, so that’s never going to happen.”

Yesterday media (including this site) ran clips of Cate Blanchett apparently incredulous with a question from The Project‘s Jonathan Hyla.

But the full clip, now released, reveals a much different context, where both were joking throughout the interview.

As The Age notes, even TEN promoted the interview on its Twitter account with the hashtag “awkward” (since deleted).

The Project said in a statement it had not played the full interview because, “There was much laughter throughout the interview, and too much content to air in our allowed time – so we will [be] playing the full interview on our website for everyone to enjoy.”

Big budget action drama The Last Ship finally has its premiere on GO! next week.

Produced by Michael Bay the series features Eric Dane, Rhona Mitra, Adam Baldwin, Charles Parnell.

There are 10 episodes in the series, which has been renewed for a second season.

It premiered in the US last June.

Captain Tom Chandler and the crew of the USS Nathan James set out for the Arctic with two civilian virologists, Dr. Rachel Scott and Dr. Quincy Tophet, who claim to be studying birds. When they come under attack by a renegade team of Russian forces, Chandler learns these virologists are actually collecting samples of the source of a deadly virus that has wiped out over half the human population while they’ve been at sea. As they head home on the orders of the remaining U.S. government, Chandler and his crew realize that home is a shadow of what they left, and the safest place to develop a vaccine for this deadly disease is out at sea on their ship.

Seven hit the pause button on State of Affairs last night but the show is back in two weeks’ time.

A double episode screens at 9:00pm Thursday April 9th.

“War At Home / The Faithful”Charlie and the team race to find the Ar Rissalah missing bombs before other members of the terrorist cell rise up and attack the homeland. Charlie enlists the help of a former adversary to help.

The last ever Mad Men episodes will begin from early April, Express from the US.

Part II of Season Seven will bring to an end a glorious run for the AMC period series, starring Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss and January Jones.

It will conclude on May 18th.

Final seven episodes of the drama that takes place in the 1960s at a New York City advertising agency on Madison Avenue. Since its series premiere, Mad Men has been a critical and awards darling, scoring 15 Emmy Award wins (including 4 for Best Drama), and winning four Golden Globes (3 for Best Drama and 1 for Jon Hamm for Best Actor).